Defying Death (and Cancer) at the Grand Canyon

 As we walked up to the first overlook point at the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, I wondered if it would be as beautiful as I remembered it. I had seen it once before during my first cross-country trip with Will, in those exciting days right after we graduated from Duke and just before I started up at Stanford Law. When I saw it then, during the summer of 2004, I thought it was one of the most striking and inspiring sights that I’d ever laid eyes on, and I looked forward to seeing my old friend again now, hoping that it hadn’t changed at all.

The Grand Canyon was as gorgeous as ever, filling me with wonderment and gratitude for a life that allowed me to see it with my loved ones not once but twice. The air was crisp and the sun was warm, a perfect combination as we walked along the rim, soaking in the vistas and snapping lots of pictures.

It didn’t take long before I started engaging in one of my favorite Grand Canyon activities: taking pictures that look far more death-defying than they are, but are (I’ll admit) slightly dangerous. I drove my parents and Will crazy with some of the places I’d stand and the poses I’d strike, but I was always in control of what I was doing and after we looked at the photos, we were all laughing. Whenever I pull these pranks, I never get too close to a steep embankment, or feign a loss of balance unless I am firmly rooted and not even close to losing my balance. I’m never afraid because I’m in control and I know that I’m totally safe.

Maybe it’s a little crazy to have this attitude when you’re several feet away from a bad accident at the Grand Canyon, but it’s exactly the attitude you need to have when you’re staring down Stage IV cancer. You can’t pick and choose when you want your WunderGlo to be fearless. It’s either all of the time or none of the time…and it’s of all the time, ladies and gents.

And it all worked out. I was rejuvenated by the majesty of the Grand Canyon and now I’m safe and sound at our Sheraton in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Day 2 of the cancer-killing cross-country trip was a rollicking, death-defying, sun-soaked success.