Five years ago today Carrie came home from a doctor's appointment and said she needed to talk to me. Those who have known me all of my life know I've been in some scary places, but I didn't know what fear felt like until my wife told me she had cancer that afternoon. I didn't know what to do, but a song from my youth popped into my head, and it's lyrics never felt more appropriate. Petra had a song in the late 1980s called "Get on your knees and fight like a man", and never did those lyrics make more sense than that night.
Somehow we made it through Christmas without telling the kids ( I can't remember how we managed that), through our individual breakdowns with family and friends. We made it through the doctors appointments and surgery the same way we have made it through everything else life has thrown at us: together by the Grace of God.
When you are facing the ultimate test of faith and grace you learn a lot about yourself and those around you. I learned two things. First, I married Wonder Woman. She beat cancer and came out the other side deciding to run marathons and finish college while still working full-time and not missing a beat. The second thing I learned is that I don't know who I would be without her in my life, but I know it would be far less than I am.
Carrie completing a half marathon the summer after her cancer surgery.
In a few weeks she will be "Officially" Cancer Free, and we will celebrate with joy. But this Christmas I wanted to make sure to that the world knew how thankful I was for the only gift I'll ever need: my beautiful wife.