The saying c'est la vie means "that's life."

Life is about planning. Some things you can't plan for. One thing I didn't see coming was my grandma getting diagnosed with cancer. As my mom had tears flowing down her face I listened to her explain how we didn't know what was happening and that the next appointment was in a week. I let out a nervous laugh. I couldn't believe that one of my grandparents was sick especially my grandma who was the most healthy person her entire life. In my head it wasn't bad, she would be OK because that's all I knew and wanted for her and me. My mom further explained to me that they didn't know how far the cancer spread which would determine what the plan of action was. After talking more and hearing that she wasn't eating because of the cancer, I broke down in tears along with her.

"It wasn't fair."

But hey, c'est la vie. We found out that the cancer hadn't spread and everything was a work in progress. Every piece of news was heart clenching: was the chemo working? Was the cancer shrinking? Was it spreading? These were all thoughts that were constantly floating around our heads.

I saw my family grow closer than ever. My aunts and uncle helped bring my grandma to appointments when my grandpa couldn't. They would sit with her as she got the treatment she had to get daily. You could see the stress and heartbreak in my grandpa that he thought he was losing his best friend. Someone he raised four kids and nine grandkids with. But still, she conquered and so did we.

I called my grandma often to see how she was and of course, she would at times tell me how the chemotherapy and radiation was making her feel "lousy." In turn, I would tell her to look at the bright side of things saying, "it may be cold now which makes everything suck even more, but in the summer you'll be cancer free and be feeling the warm sun on your face." I heard her chuckle through the phone at that.

Once she had surgery my aunts kept logs in a family group chat explaining how she was doing and what the doctors were saying. We all had a good laugh at how the guy next door was racing through the halls and how she wanted to go race him. We wanted her spirits high because everything was on the up and up.

At the moment with our fingers crossed we are through the worst. Of course, she has to build her strength back but seeing her fight this, we know she has every intention to be walking around Thalbergh School once again. From drinking protein drinks to watching her eat the littlest things like toast and eggs, it's been quite a ride.

C'est la vie meant to my family that it was time to take charge and do what we can to stand together. 12.7 million people a year discover they have cancer and 340,000 of those cases can be prevented. It's all about looking for the warning signs and looking out for your loved ones. Things could've been different and things are different after this.

Always stay positive because without positivity, you let the negativity win. C'est la vie.