Just the word, Cancer, sends shudders down the spine. I imagine most people will see this as the daily prompt and immediately think of those in their lives touched by this disease, in one way or another. Also many who have been through it personally will recall their experience and have a survival story to tell. To quote @mariannewest (and many others before her) "Cancer sucks". Not much more needs to be said.
My own personal thoughts on seeing this word go straight to my Auntie Anne. She is the most loving, kindhearted person I have ever known, is famous in our family for her big, warm and loving hugs. The woman is a saint, taking care of my grandmother for many years, adopting 2 children and taking care of 2 other children as foster children. Also doing much charity work for the "St Vincent De Paul" society and through work with her church. Yet for all the good that this person does, and all the love that radiates from her, Cancer has impacted her life in such a terrible, unfair way.
My Uncle Bill, (Auntie Anne's husband of over 40 years) fought 2 long and debilitating battles with Brain Cancer. He eventually lost this battle and left us. Around the same time as he passed away, my cousin Megan (Anne's adopted daughter) found out she had Breast Cancer. She also put up a fight, but also sadly lost her battle, leaving behind 2 gorgeous children both of pre-teen age. Within 18 months, my Auntie had buried her husband and her daughter to variations of this horrible disease. Through all this my Aunt carried herself with amazing dignity, despite what many would see as cruel twists of fate that life dealt her.
I dream of a world one day where this terrible affliction no longer exists.
This post is a response to @mariannewest's five minute freewrite prompt. Check her feed out to get involved, you may find you have more creativity than you realise - I did.