The Forza Coffee Company's employees frequently wear a t-shirt that reads, "Il Cancro Succhia." The words look and sound elegant in Italian. In English, they're straight and to the point: Cancer sucks.
What doesn't suck, though, are friendships that span generations. First their parents were friends; then Christine and Shana became friends, going on family vacations, making 4-hour treks up and down I-5, and pen-palling about all sorts of girly stuff. Christine and Shana's friendship has spanned decades and many state lines, but every time they're together, it's as though no time or distance had existed in-between. I felt that connection when we met up with Shana and her family while traveling through Oregon to CA a few years ago. From that moment on, we were the second generation of family friends. And, last January, we planted the seeds for a third generation.
How do long-term friendships and cancer tie together? They don't. They shouldn't. They're not supposed to. But, in this case, they do. After an aggressive win over cervical cancer in 2007, Shana is beginning her second fight with the disease in the coming weeks. This time, some lymph nodes and lung tissue are affected. The battle begins with radiation targeting lymph nodes whose swelling has caused tremendous pain over the past several months. If you are the praying type, please pray for Shana, her two girls, Alexis and Natalie, husband, Cameron, and extended family.
I like the Italian phrasing of "Il cancro succhia." The Italian words capture the elegance of an insidious disease that uses our own cells against us; the meaning of the words conveys the ugliness of the disease. There was a tangible heaviness in the air here last night, and with it a reminder to cherish our families and friends, to take those little opportunities with people we love to grab a bite to eat, stop by on the way through town, send those e-mails we've been meaning to send, and take lots of pictures. Much love to the Barrs today.
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