British People Can Be Very Insightful

Some of my favorite people are from the UK: Ruth (my friend from SLS), Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, William Shakespeare, Elton John, Boy George, Kazuo Ishiguro (yes, he's British), and Winston Churchill.

I bring up my favorite people from across the pond because of Winston Churchill, and a special quote of his that Ruth reminded me of a couple weeks ago when she was here visiting, a quote that readily applies to my mindset as I beat cancer:

"If you're going through hell, keep going."

Now, I'm not trying to say that going through my current fist-fight with cancer is hell -- honestly, it's been a great adventure -- but it is a physical, emotional, and psychological challenge. It's resulted in a scar up my gut, meds labeled "toxic" coursing through my veins every couple of weeks, and a date with me and a massive surgery in the next couple of months. It's resulted in a delay in my career as an attorney, and has thrown a wrench in any plans I had for kids (a post about babies coming soon). It's taken away parts of my awesome, action-packed life, and forced me to fight like hell to get it all back. 

But it's not hell.

Still, the quote encapsulates exactly what I've done from the moment I learned my diagnosis. Without even thinking of the great Winston Churchill and his quote, I've kept going, pushed forward, remained positive, and prepared for victory.  

It's an important thing to remember not just in my particular battle, but for everyone. If times are tough, or you're confronting a big challenge, just keep moving forward. The quote, to me, is all about not giving up and not despairing about your current situation -- it's about getting through it and getting on to better times. Which is exactly what I'm doing.