The Dreaded Phone Call

The hardest part of working on cruise ships is being so far away from my family. Do I miss my friends back home? Yes! Do I worry that many of them have forgotten about me? Of course! Do I worry that things won’t be the same when I go home? You bet! But none of these can even compare to missing my family, especially now. Yesterday I found out that my dad’s cancer is back. This time it is tiny spots around his abdomen. The good news is that it has not yet spread to any of his internal organs or his brain. Even though I was gone the first time we found out about his cancer, I was only two hours away and could still hop in a car to go see him whenever I wanted. Being so far away and being the last to hear all of the news is absolutely killing me. I went through these same feelings when my niece Molly got sick about a month ago. Waiting to hear the latest updates on her condition was torture! At work, it was all I was able to focus on. Now the emotional roller coaster starts again, only this time with dad. He goes to see his cancer doctor tomorrow, where we will find out more information about the type of cancer it is, what stage it is in, and the plan of treatment he will go through. I am asking for you to please keep him in your prayers, that he will have the strength and the courage to conquer cancer like he did the last time. He is an incredibly strong man and our family is ready and bracing ourselves for the tough road ahead. I know that the next year will not be easy, but that being said, I know that Heavenly Father does not give us any challenge that we are not able to handle, and every trial is for a purpose has a blessing hidden within. One blessing that came from my dad’s cancer the first time was a new unity within our family. It is truly amazing how a family can bond together when someone is ill. My family is incredibly close and together we will help my dad beat this cancer.