Happy World Cancer Day!

Happy World Cancer Day, everyone!

I know it's traditional to wish someone a "happy" holiday, and I also know that a day focused on cancer isn't necessarily a time to feel happy.

But I look at it this way:

Every year, on my diagnosiversary, I tell people that I am celebrating the day. And my wife is always a little uncomfortable with the idea of "celebrating" the anniversary of being told I have cancer.

But I always tell her this: We're not celebrating that day. We're celebrating the 3,650 days since that day. All the days I've been alive and able to find some reason to celebrate each day.

Am I really that positive all the time? Yes. Yes I am. Last week, my daughter and I went to the gym for a workout, and as we were leaving, the young woman at the reception desk stopped us to say there was something wrong with our paperwork.

We stopped for a few minutes to straighten it all out. The young woman said to me, "This might be a stretch, but do you have your driver's license with you? I know lots of people don't take it into the gym with them."

"Oh, I have my license," I said to her, taking it out to show her. "My photo looks so good, I carry it with me everywhere."

The young woman laughed -- probably not so much because of what I said, and more because of how embarrassed my 16 year old daughter was that I would say such a thing to a stranger.

But that's not the point. Even with cancer, we have to find the joy.

And even in things worse than cancer, like driver's license photos.

The theme of World Cancer Day this year is, again, "We Can. I Can."

As individuals, we can do things to try to prevent cancer, like do monthly checks. Tell your family and friends to subscribe to Check 15, a monthly cancer check reminder. They release a funny video every month on YouTube (and Facebook and Twitter) reminding you to check for cancers (breast, testicular, skin -- things that someone might notice by looking and feeling around). They just released their 50th monthly video a could of weeks ago. If you watch carefully (about two and half minutes in), you might even catch a glimpse of Lympho Bob. Fun stuff!

And together, we can make things happen, too. We can make others more aware of cancer-related issues, like funding for research, and the importance of clinical trials. Many voices working as one will always have a greater impact than single voices.

So find reasons to celebrate today. And the days that led up to today.
And think about ways to make tomorrow better -- for yourself, and your loved ones, and the rst of the world.

But whatever you do, take the day as a reminder to find the joy.