Happy Mother's Day

I'd like to wish all of you Moms a Happy Mother's Day.

I have to say, I've encountered some pretty spectacular moms in the last six years as I've been on my cancer journey.

I've seen some moms in my support group who have had children of their own, adult children and actual kids, and seen their determination in doing what they can to protect their babies. Researching treatments. Fighting with doctors and insurance companies. Providing a shoulder to cry on.

I've seen nurses who have kids of their own, who treat patients like their own kids. (My wife says once you become a parent to one child, you become a parent to the world.)

I've seen my wife worry about our own kids and show me her worry. I've seen her worry and hide it. And I've seen her be a rock when I was worried. Mostly, I've seen her be a rock.

And I saw my own mom's worries about me. Those worries, of course, wouldn't stop her from siting with me all morning for a Rituxan treatment. It certainly wasn't fair that she had to go through it all with me, but it sure didn't stop her from doing it.

If you've ever seen a mom get mad at a coach for not playing her kid, and seen the anger in her eyes, then you can imagine a mom up against cancer -- her own, her partner's, her child's. Just multiply that anger by a thousand, and add a healthy dose of determination.

So that's what I'm feeling today. Sorry for moms whose lives have been touched (and sometimes slapped hard) by cancer, and gratitude that you were there despite it.

I hope you've all had a very happy day.

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I think I linked to this during my first Mother's Day with lymphoma six years ago, but took it down because the YouTube comments were rude. My boys were 11 and 9 then. They are 17 and 15 now, and I can pretty easily see them making this same video themselves. Enjoy.