The Red Brick Times

Alice

What do you know about yourself or someone else until you are put to a test? Did I know how well I could manage a business, or teach until I took the plunge? It’s easy to talk the talk and imagine, but what do you learn about character when real life drama takes you to task?

I have learned a lot about Alice in the past few years that I never knew when we dated, fell in love and married. The things I love her for today have changed and keep our relationship strong.

When Alice was diagnosed with cancer four years ago I saw her strength and conviction displayed in ways that I had come to expect. She made life altering decisions very quickly. She is a strong and decisive woman. I knew that. Her mother became ill and soon passed away, even while Alice was treating her cancer. Still, she was fire and ice, taking care of the necessities while wrenching with emotion. She was able to sing a childhood song for her mother at graveside. I can barely type these words with composer. These are trials that have not tested me, as yet. I don’t know if I could do the same. I sure hope that I will show such strength when the time comes.

What I never anticipated was how Alice took her cancer and turned it into a campaign. She trained and participated in the Avon 3-day, walking from Bolder to Denver to raise funds (very successfully) for Breast Cancer research. She completed a 60 mile charity walk just a few months after concluding her treatment. Locally we completed the Susan B. Komen walk (fundraiser) in downtown Cleveland. This is where I am finding admiration for a woman that I love and keep finding more reasons for doing so.

Cancer is all around us. Everybody knows somebody that has been affected either directly or indirectly. Alice discovers new occurrences among her friends and colleagues on a regular basis. There seems to be an epidemic of breast cancer. I don’t have statistics but among women near and past middle age it is amazingly common. Alice seeks out close relationships with those others who face what she has faced. She is compassionate, knowledgeable, and… a survivor.

Tonight she has gotten another call from a friend, dropped all else and gone to counsel.
Posted 8:51 PM by Ray (1) comments

       Comments:

Ray, that is one of the best love letters I have ever seen. I love you, too.

# posted by  Andy : June 30, 2005 7:18 AM
 
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