I Have a Friend

A friend of mine had to face a very hard thing this week.  

She was the teller the masked bank robber faced.  

She was the one who suffered nightmares and worries.

She was the one who had to face him in the courtroom.  

She was scared and lived with that fear for months.

In that courtroom she found relief; she found closure.  

Facing a traumatic event is a difficult task. 

Living with it afterwards is just as difficult. 

Trying to understand what it must be like to go through an experience like that,  I dug deep into my own experiences.

I have faced a medical diagnosis that far too often results in death.  

Cancer wears a mask.

I didn't know what I was facing.

I was scared.  

I spent months fighting pain, fear, depression, nightmares and physical disabilities.

When others were around it was easier to wear a brave and cheerful face.

The support of my family was invaluable.  I couldn't have done it without them.  

There came a day when I was free, 

free from the most pressing worries.  

The cancer was gone. I could begin to regain normalcy. 

I felt relief; I felt closure.

I felt different.

I am thankful.

I survived to love life and family and friends more than ever,

I know what are the most important things.

I will never be the same again.

And neither will she.