The Rapture

Ok, so that Christian group was totally wrong and The Rapture did not happen today. But the idea of the end of the world or, more specifically, the end of our individual worlds got me thinking.

Getting my cancer diagnosis was sort of like The Rapture. Sort of. Stay with me here.

As I rested in that hospital bed at Good Samaritan, nursing my freshly-made incision wound (a mere baby compared to Sugarbaker's sweet scar), longing to get a bite of solid food, and realizing that I had Stage IV colon cancer, I felt extremely close to God. Not in a frenzied OH GOD, HELP ME! kind of way or a bitter WHY ME, BABY JESUS?! kind of way, but more of a "Ahh, I see where you're going with this" wink and nod kind of way. My Creator has always had my back, and I knew this new life expedition would be no different. And I felt like it was all planned out and for a purpose...like I was meant to take on this challenge, broadcast my story to anyone it might help, and continue on my life-long goal of doing as much good as possible in this world, only in a way I'd never before anticipated. Being diagnosed with cancer was a highly spiritual experience, and it was the closest I've ever felt to God.

Also, of course, getting this diagnosis rudely reminds you of your own mortality. I've never thought that I would actually die from this disease (seriously, dying is not an option, people), but I did stop and think, "What?! I may not live forever?" And upon realizing that, I vowed to make each day -- each moment -- count as if it was my last. And that has changed everything for the better.

So even though the crazies were wrong about today being the end of days, we can all reflect on the fact that one day, our days will come to an end. So let's live it up!!