Special Entry - Our Dad's Cancer Story.

This is our Dad's "Why I Relay" story that I wrote for him. He will be telling this story at this years Canadian Cancer Society's Relay for Life in our area this year.

I had two moles on the side of my face. Two moles, not bigger than a baby's fingernail, but as of January 2005 they were cancer. So my journey began, in the following March I had the surgery to remove these two moles. It worked, there were times my recovery was a bit more dramatic than what was normal, but I arrived in June at the Relay for Life safe and sound, without Chemo, without painful treatments. As I entered the gym suddenly I was surrounded by dozens of other survivors “real survivors.” I took my pin and my t-shirt as the others were doing, but stopped short of pulling it on. I held it in my hand, and walked around the room. I got away with just holding my shirt for about a half hour before 5 ladies walked over to me and asked: “Why aren't you wearing your shirt.” I told them, and I avoided answering with a smile and kept putting it off. Suddenly those five ladies were stricter than my 2nd grade teacher. “Put it on.” they said “Or we'll put it on you.” 

I put it on.

So I unrolled that yellow shirt and pulled it over my head. Finally, it began to feel real. I was a cancer survivor. The over whelming feeling of acceptance, I had finally allowed myself to be a cancer survivor. Without chemo, or a long and painful battle, I was still a cancer survivor. Those five ladies allowed me, via this now old, stained, and tattered yellow shirt to feel what I needed to be. Proud of what I am.

A cancer survivor. 

Every type of cancer is worth being a proud survivor of. If you have someone in your life who is embarrassed or otherwise ashamed of their story help them become proud of it. They deserve it, and so do you. 

Musings about Religion, Philosophy and Happiness

According to the Four Noble Truths buddhists, in order to reach nirvana must let go of every single earthly attachment:

From #2 The origin of suffering is attachment.

"The origin of suffering is attachment to transient things and the ignorance thereof. Transient things do not only include the physical objects that surround us, but also ideas, and -in a greater sense- all objects of our perception."

This means that every single person in your life, your mother, father, brother, significant other. You must remove all attachment from them. Also concepts, like hope, love and faith you must forget all of those.

When I first wanted to become Buddhist, this stopped me. I knew that I could never completely detach myself from the world in such a way that would lead me to nirvana. However, it has been a year since I have started tip-toeing my way down this path and I have grown as I did. Cautiously digging around in the resources I have access to. I am brave and sure of myself now, and I can bring myself to attach this idea to my name.

I don't believe that The Buddha would ever want people to suffer.

I know that the first noble truth is "To live is to suffer." But I wholeheartedly disagree with that noble truth. To live, to truly live is to have happiness. If you can find happiness in someone, your significant other, your family. You have found your nirvana.

The Buddha is quoted as saying "There is no way to happiness - happiness is the way." and I believe, I know for me, that this the the fundamental goal of Buddha. He wants us to be happy, and not just happy now, happy forever in every life that we are going to live. It goes against every other thing that The Buddha would argue that you must give up everything on this earth to be happy.

Some things yes, give up on your dependance of lavish things, don't let money control your life. Nathan and I could live on the street and be the happiest beggars in the world be cause we find our happiness in each other, not in what we can do for each other financially.

I love being a Buddhist, I love how it makes me think and how it has changed how I view the world, other cultures, other religions. It is tempting to hate those who would use such a beautiful thing like religion to suit their selfish, earthly, needs. Every religion, at the very core of its ideals, has love and happiness.

Why would you do something that made you unhappy, that makes someone else unhappy? Thats the idea that I grew up on, my wise parents. Do what makes you happy, and just because I've decided to put a label on my way of thinking, does not mean that now I am somehow better in the eyes of others. I shouldn't be and my heart goes out to people who think that labeling your thoughts does improve your person.

Instead of converting, we should be just talking to people show them love and happiness and be thankful if you can help them. If they chose to label themselves that is their choice and if they don't it isn't our place to scold them or tell them that they are wrong. You risk damaging all you just told them. They'll dislike you and go against everything that you had hoped to teach them

I've gotten off track, but I'm pleased I did. I never put in words before why converting people bothered me so much.

Thanks for reading.