Lately I’ve been thinking how important friendship is. Not the shallow kind Facebook would have us believe is the real deal, but genuine friendship when people look you in the eye and, even if they don’t say it in so many words, you know they care.
Most of us have people who we love to be around. They make us laugh. They hold out tissues when we cry. Sometimes they even make us want to live.
This has been a tough year for me. Like many of you, I’ve said goodbye to people who I always thought would be around for a lot longer. And more and more often the villain in the story has been cancer.
It doesn’t seem to matter what the person’s lifestyle or general health is. When cancer rears its ugly head, few of us are left untouched.
I’ve always been awed by the support the Sunshine Coast gives to various causes, but none more so than cancer-fighting initiatives. In the years I covered events for Coast Reporter, the Ladies Red Serge Gala to support the Cops for Cancer riders was always amazing. It was one of those wonderful win-win occasions, when the hardworking organizers were rewarded for their diligence by guests who appreciated both the energy and cause of the night. I can’t ever remember a single year where women’s hearts weren’t touched by the bravery of the kids enduring chemo or the personal stories of the riders’ inspiration. It was rare to look around the room and not see tears.
My sister died from this most dreaded of diseases just shortly into her ninth year. I knew firsthand what many of these families went through. Every time one of the kids went into remission, or I saw them years later living a robust life, I silently thanked those many women for their donations to the cause.
Sadly there are some cancers that continue to confound the best of scientific minds. One of the worst, pancreatic, took the life of my and many Coasters’ good friend Sam Simpson last month. In his time, he supported every good cause that came along. Sam was kind to the core.
It’s my fervent hope that a cure for this horrible disease comes soon and all our losses will soon be much less. With all of us working together, I know it’s possible. I know the Coast cares.
