Now

Claudia. I hope she doesn’t mind me using her first name, but she gave me a wonderful reminder this morning. Claudia is a friend who came to me late in life, but has expanded my world in momentous ways. She is the type of friend who walks by my side and whispers encouragement. She giggles at my wicked ways, and teases with love. She suggests and invites new experiences, yet accepts the differences that make us unique. She is a teacher, an inspirer, and a dreamer. She is also a cancer survivor.
Her experience with cancer could have left her withdrawn, beaten, bitter. But cancer’s shadow will never best her spirit… Claudia’s inner light is too strong. She musters strength every time a friend or acquaintance trembles with the diagnosis of cancer, and throws herself into the fight on their behalf. It’s hard not to believe in miracles when Claudia enters the fray.
I had inquired about a friend of hers who was in cancer treatment. Her response was that the cancer scans were clear, now, and that was all that mattered. Now. It seems so simple, but it hit me hard. Now is all any of us have, but we forget that. We fret about the future, the unknowns, and the what-ifs. The prognosis of cancer pretty much comes with a lifetime warranty of fear. Claudia’s experiential wisdom cuts through the choking ropes of worry and un-tethers a simple truth: This moment is all any of us have, so be fully present in it. Her reminder was the best part of my day.