Maybe it's just the chemo-brain I've got going on right now...but this post is going to be a big venting session. I don't know if you've ever heard the quote..

“Friendship isn’t about whom you have known the longest… It’s about who came, and never left your side."

I used to work for Circle of Friends, which is an amazing organization that pairs students with special needs up with regular education students in middle schools and high schools and they have a mentoring type relationship and do fun field trips together (shout out VAL WALL). But anyway, whenever I would lead a meeting with the regular education students, I would ALWAYS have to tell them.."Whatever you do, if you make plans with or promise to do something with your new buddy..you BETTER keep them. Because they will remember forever that you didn't keep your word."

Working with people with special needs for as long as I have, I can tell you why their feelings were so hurt...relationships are EVERYTHING to them. They will sit around waiting for a phone call if you said you were going to call them. They will talk about you coming over to hang out for a week if you tell them you are going to. I will never cease to be amazed with how much the mentally handicapped have life figured out more than us boring, regular people do. Relationships ARE everything.

All this to say, I cannot even count the number of people who when they initially heard I had cancer immediately blurted out the words.."Oh my gossshhh, we're going to hang out!" At first I was like, ok yeah! However, three months down the road I haven't heard from ANY of them since. My question is...why would you even waste your time saying that if you had no intention on following through? I still have the same cancer today that I had three months ago.

Does it hurt my feelings.. ABSOLUTELY! Am I going to cry about it...hell no. To you I say SAYONARA, see ya later.

When you have cancer, there is nothing more that you need than a strong support system. People who love you. I can tell you give you one piece of advice for if you ever have a loved one who gets diagnosed in the future..stick by their side and love them like crazy. It can make even the darkest days a little brighter.