Cancer sucks. This isn’t news and this is something thousands of people deal with everyday. Cancer destroys more than just the body. It destroys a person’s soul, their spirit, mental well-being, outlook on life, and ability to be themselves. Cancer changes their life and the world around them. Cancer breaks the hearts of loved ones. Cancer doesn’t discriminate. It takes all of these things from the newborns and the elderly to teenagers, whites, hispanics; the list goes on and on. Cancer destroys who you are at the core, as well as physically.

But thats not all it does. It gives some people a new outlook on life. Another purpose, perhaps a bigger purpose than they had previously thought. It turns people into fighters. Cancer inspires people; it pushes people; its negatives sure outweighs the positives, but it can give more than it can take if you aren’t willing to let it.

I have personally experienced and been surrounded with too much cancer by the ripe old age of 19. I have had two dear friends be diagnosed with cancer, countless family members, and also seen cancer affect family of the people I love. But let me tell you, the past two people I know that have had to fight this God-awful disease known as cancer have not let cancer change them for the worse. Cancer was a huge blessing in disguise that allowed them to love harder, inspire more, and affect others in ways that were unknown to them.

Nothing prepares you to hear the news that your best friend has been diagnosed with cancer. I personally cried for days, my heart ached for months, and I was worried 24/7. Cancer changed who I was as a person and I wasn’t even the one diagnosed with it. But my best friend who was, did not change. He was the same friend I always loved; he was inspiring. He was strong. He was carefree. He was determined. He was loving. He was a damn fighter. He fought and led his day-to-day life not allowing cancer to change it or who he was. Man, his fight inspired me in ways he doesn’t even know. He doubted himself like any person would fighting this terrible disease, but he pushed. And he realized he was bigger than cancer. He is an inspiration. He can now use his story of DEFEATING cancer to share his story and inspire others in this battle. His uplifting, humorous, charming personality is sure to help and touch thousands of people with his determination, grit, willingness to never give up, which can ultimately inspire them to win their battle too.

And as he is getting ready to tell his story, another friend of mine will never get that chance.

But, he was able to effect hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people with his battle that, he did not lose, but had simply decided he had done all he needed to here on earth, and is now allowing us to celebrate his life.

This inspiring man lost their fight to cancer recently. It sure damn hurts to say that; it still doesn’t feel real. I can tell you that for the short 4.5 years that I was able to know him, he wasn’t willing to give up who he was or what he wanted his life to be in the name of cancer. He fought like hell to be beat the disease countless times; when cancer was ready to claim another victim, he was not willing. I know that he surrendered when he was ready, when enough was enough, and he left on his terms; not cancers. Cancer turned him into even more of a fighter than he already was.

Gosh, he had personality. He went through extensive surgeries, rounds of chemo and radiation, more surgeries, more sickness, and yet he found the time, in his dreadful schedule of a day, to text me and check up on me. To make sure that I was still chasing after that DI athletic scholarship we both knew I had no chance of grasping. He texted to remind me that Syracuse was going to win the National Championship every year no matter what the months leading up to March had told. He texted me to make sure that I was okay when other tragedies struck my own life, all while he is dealing with his own tragedy. A simple text from him brightened my day and I hope that I was able to do the same for him throughout his long and inspiring battle. Cancer did not take his character. Cancer failed to claim the heart, spirit, and soul of who he was.

So yes, he may have passed away, but cancer did not take him. Cancer did not change him. I sure wish you were here, but I know that you left because YOU were ready. Not because of cancer. That, my friends, is one of the most comforting things to know; cancer doesn’t take people we love, the ones we love chose to leave when they’re ready. And that gives me peace and comfort that even if we aren’t ready to let go of the ones we love, we can go to bed at night, aching and unbelievably sad, but knowing they were ready and in a better place because cancer cannot.