Miles
So, I was checking CNN this morning like I usually do, and then I clicked over to Anderson Cooper's blog, and I found out that Miles Levin died on Sunday. Miles was a teenager with cancer, and had been featured on CNN quite a few months back. He had written a really touching entry and I was really impressed with his perspective, his acceptance of such a horrible situation, and his ability to go on living an amazing life in spite of it. And then time went by and I forgot about Miles.
Well, Miles has his own blog, at a site called Carepages. So I took the extra 45 seconds I wouldn't normally take to create my seventy-hundreth username and password, and I logged in and proceeded to read his entire two year journey. Which probably was not the best use of my time at work, but once I started reading I just...couldn't stop. Then it got to be too emotional and I couldn't risk the president walking into my office to find me in tears surrounded by soggy bits of papertowel (reminder: bring Kleenex to work)... so then I finished up my work for the day and rushed home to finish reading.
Now I know there are a lot of stories out there from people with cancer, from loved ones of those with cancer, from people overcoming or struggling to cope with incomprehensible tragedies. But to hear from someone so young, with such grace and poise and compassion and just... real-ness... I'm just incredibly moved. Every life is special, everyone has story, a journey, a death.... but not everyone can communicate the enormity and preciousness of life in a way that has such a massive impact on my spirit. And all this from some kid in Detroit who is the same age as my brother. I just don't even have the words to describe how I'm feeling right now, other than a huge urge to make love with fierce passion, to eat the best chocolate and drink the best wine and laugh until I cry and create some beautiful art and let everyone know I love them so very much. Because I can. Because I'm alive.
Goodbye and thank you, boy with cancer. Thanks for letting me get a glimpse into your world and thanks for shaking up mine.