for my beans...

Today is Sarah's birthday, she's 30. That's a pretty big one. Most people faced with her situation would see this milestone as bittersweet. They'd let the news of cancer ruin them. They'd sulk. They'd hide. They'd whine. I know that's what I'd do for one. But not Sarah...she's better than that. Last night she told me as she has many times over the past few months: "This will not bring me down," I believe her and anyone who knows her well enough can say the same thing.

And that's what I love about Sarah. I consider myself lucky and blessed to be able to wake up each day with such an amazing person. Sarah has been so brave in the face of such a huge obstacle, I use her attitude of "be relentless" in my every day life. The fact that's she's turned such a negative into something she can use to spread positivity speaks volumes of what type of person she is.

If the past few months have taught me anything it's to expect the unexpected, as cliché as that is. I can safely say that last year I did not see us being in the position we're in now. Hell, I didn't see us in the position when the year started. It was all so sudden. When you find out someone you love has cancer, your world just stops for a bit. Things change, what seemed to matter so much, doesn't seem to even matter.

Yet, you learn to deal with it. And suddenly, it's not the obstacle defining you, but it's how you handle that obstacle that defines you. And that's what she means when she says: "be relentless." To borrow a line from the movie "The Breakfast Club," in the simplest terms and the most convenient definitions, being relentless is facing up to what challenges come along. It's more than just a two word motto. It's a means to inspire, not just herself or people around her, but to inspire others. To inspire others who face the same challenge or any challenge for that matter.

So, while it's not the 30th birthday she or I envisioned, it will be a special one nonetheless. And her next birthday she'll be cancer free.