“When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back. A week is more than enough time for us to decide whether or not to accept our destiny.”

- Paulo Coelho

I am a what you may call a laid back person, I am something of a late bloomer, and I never was that aggressive with my career or future plans. But I took on the challenge of finding out if I can work on leaving for the U.S., and after a long wait, and it finally pushed through. Just when I thought my only problem would be how to say goodbye to friends and family here (or who among my friends I should start making plans with there, figure out if I have decent clothes to bring, etc.) At a point in your life when it seems like you’re ok, finally…no looming crises or earth- shattering realizations, it happened to me.

It was a phone call that changed my life in an instant. I never thought that would be possible, but it was just that. Everything turned upside down in a blink of an eye.

It’s such a cliche, but when it hits you, the impact is amazing.

My mom has cancer.

Boy, was this something I was not prepared for. On second thought, no one could ever be prepared for anything like this.

The doctor said it was probably familial, and she had late pregnancies, so that was a factor. But still, hearing is one thing, accepting is something totally different. It was, suddenly, the single most important thing in my mind. All other concerns seemed to be so trivial. And my life before this, was blank. Time stopped. And I had to live for now. Starting now, I had to re-think things differently. Finally, I know what it means to grow up.

But with God’s grace, I and my family are ok. I have faith. We are fighting this.

Good thing is, it was something still manageable, now she has had an operation, and will be undergoing chemotherapy. I just want to share with you all who read this, especially to all women, how important early detection is. Have regular breast exams and visits to your OB-GYN. We hear it over and over, and I know we tend to overlook it in the midst of living our lives, but living well and healthy CANNOT take a backseat to our other goals and ambitions. It is also a burden, spiritually, emotionally, physically and financially. How can you expect to fulfill your dreams if you or one of your loved ones is unhealthy, and cannot experience life to the fullest?

And most important of all, never let a moment go by without thanking GOD for our blessings. Pray. Forgive. Choose to see the good in others. Don’t waste time with petty arguments. Live your life as you mean it to be.

Give your family a hug after reading this. =)