"HEY! Go lay in the surf like your body just washed up on shore and I'll take your picture""
"OKAY!" our 14 year old Cassidy squeals, running towards the Ocean.
When I get there she's already laying on the wet sand.
Waves finish their march to shore by softly kissing her cheek and fanning her hair.
She closes her eyes, opens her mouth and tries to look dead.
I snap pictures until we both burst out laughing together.
Sure it's politically incorrect but God it was fun!
Cancer jokes rule at our house and we're constantly working to make it work to our advantage.
Cancer takes everything but, at our house anyway, we taking as much as we can back from the bitch!
"No I can't do that today," I hear Laurel say into her phone, "Mike's got cancer and has a doctor's appointment so I have to watch my sister while they're gone."
She hangs up, looks at me and we cackle with laughter.
We're doing our best to make the cancer work for us!
It's all about how you frame it.
What else you gonna do?
Accept it?!
I've been fighting for my life, though it was my wife who wrestled the Grim Reaper's grip off my throat breaking three of his fingers while hissing through gritted teeth, "Not yet Motherfucker!"
That's my version.
Sarah wouldn't have said "Motherfucker" though she certainly feels it too.
After a year of rogue, treacherous waves, we find ourselves sailing smooth waters for now.
The skies are blue and, today anyway, it's warm, calm and simply beautiful.
It's not over.
Stormy Seas will return but, for now anyway, we moor in the safe harbor of each other's arms.
Through it all, we've been surprised, often shocked, at people's tangible and real gifts of food, money, live music, hugs, kisses, laughs and love.
And weed!
I feel okay, excited for the future, and anxious about not doing things too quickly, which is my nature, but to enjoy every single moment of this time right now with Sarah and the girls, while we have these few minutes to laugh.
