everyone is always too busy for everyone else....

until they know someone (or they themselves) contract a disease. Then time stands still. You become a bit closer to a higher being, your family and those people who end up sticking around or those who come out of the woodworks to give you love and support.

Oddly enough, it doesn't happen often that people come out of the woodwork and/or your friends stick around to help out. People are afraid of disease and death and illnesses. I have known two people to become diagnosed with cancer in the past year. Both of which I can't wait to jump out of my pants to help them with meals or whatever I can offer that they need.

My heart aches everytime someone is diagnosed as I go through a mix of emotions reminissing about the days that stood still in time when I was diagnosed. And how I got through things and then looked back and realized only three friends actually cared enough to call, write, make things and actually take a trip out to see me and help out.

I guess it doesn't help out that most all friends that would have helped in any way live MILES away, but it does make you realize that, in the end, mostly all that is important is keeping your family relationships.

But you walk away from an experience like this a completely changed person. Who, in a heartbeat, would stop life and help a total stranger in the same situation.