Livin’ Life & Makin’ Memories

“Dance. Smile. Giggle. Marvel. TRUST. HOPE. LOVE. WISH. BELIEVE. Most of all, enjoy every moment of the journey, and appreciate where you are at this moment instead of always focusing on how far you have to go.”
― Mandy Hale

I recently spent the weekend “Living Life” & “Making Memories” in Vegas. A spur of the moment decision for me. It’s unlike me to spontaneously take a vacation; especially to hop on a plane to fly to Vegas. I need more of this in my life.

You see, I’m not the only one that has and is struggling greatly. My sweet friend of 20 years was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 Metastasized Breast Cancer – finding a spot just outside of her lungs and lymph nodes around her stomach.

So, you see…..this trip was much needed.

Learning of her diagnosis has been tough for me to sort out myself. Regardless of the illness or disease; whether it be a Stage 4 Cancer Diagnosis or an Addict who took one too many hits and ended up with End Stage Liver Failure. It is detrimental & traumatic for everyone involved.

Nothing will change the fact that I lost my sister to addiction; but what I can say is that since learning of Chris’ diagnosis I’ve struggled greatly.   I am not and will never discount the fact that my sister had a disease. Alcoholism and Addiction are, in fact, terrible, horrific diseases. But I’ve had an extremely hard time accepting that there are young women that do everything RIGHT and take the steps to live healthy lives but still get handed these death sentences.

I know that alcoholism and addiction are diseases and also kill; but I’ve always had a hard time accepting & grasping the reality that it is a disease. Addicts seem so “capable” of handling day to day life, my sister seemed well aware of her path of self-destruction that took anyone and everyone that got in her way out. While she was actually spiraling out of control; a walking tornado of self-destruction; while we begged, plead and prayed that she would choose sobriety.  Whereas someone that receives a terminal cancer diagnosis – doesn’t get to make that choice.

And that is where I get stuck with my emotions for my friend, my sister and me.

Angela had a choice to help save herself.  The choice that Chris has is to learn to live with the cancer, learn to live with her treatments and most importantly – living life in the moment, with the best possible attitude and outlook she can have.

Spending the weekend with Chris, experiencing the unthinkable with her (Stratosphere), living life……I came back with an entirely new outlook on this life that I live.

The memories that we made in Vegas and the time that we all spent together; I will never forget. The trip was full of laughs, surprises, spontaneity, people watching, talking and shenanigans.