THE THANG: YHC’s nephew (my sister’s son) and sister in law (my M’s brother’s wife) both start cancer treatments this morning. He is 17 and fighting Aplastic Anemia for the second time in his short life (his odds of survival were slightly better than 50/50 the first time…). She is 32 and beginning a fight with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma between stage 2 & 3…

Being honest, Q’ing a workout seemed fairly pointless at 4:45 this morning and I seriously considered just driving out of the parking lot. I live a fairly pampered and fortunate life. Fairly solid marriage with a woman that loves me. Healthy kids that still want to be tucked in at night (14 & 12). A house in a neighborhood where I don’t worry about my family’s safety when I am gone. Bills that I can afford to pay.

While safely tucked in my slightly less swanky bubble here in The Fort my thoughts wander…

My nephew is 17. Cross Country king and faithful Catholic that worries he is not serving God faithfully enough. He fought and beat this disease when he was just 14. He took a trip to New Zealand sponsored by Make A Wish, but he refused to take the trip until he had beaten the disease… He knows exactly what this treatment is and how he will feel. He knows that best case it will be no worse than last time… And now, he lays in bed with a newly installed port in his chest so his doctors can fill his body with poison before bringing him back from the brink of death with a bone marrow transplant donated by a stranger. 50/50

My sister in law is a mere 32 years old and the absolute anchor of her family of 5. 3 boys, all under the age of 6 depend on her. Her husband worships the ground she walks on and doesn’t know what he will do if… She is looking at her newly installed port and wondering what treatment will be like, how will she feel, what will she be able to do and how will she love her boys well? 60-80%…

My overly simplistic message? Love your M and 2.0s and friends well because we may not know that today will be the best day of our lives once we arrive at tomorrow.

EXERCISES: We did Curls, Tricep Extensions, Squats, Hill Run, Lawnmower Pulls L/R, Squats, Hill Run, Shoulder Press L/R, Squats, Hill Run, Flutters, Chest Press, Squats, Hill Run, Repeat. Count for all was 49.

COT: Prayers for baby Rhett that is 7 days old and fighting to keep food and water down, Praises for @SLV and his M as they welcomed new baby yesterday, Prayers for our families.