I’ve had a good friend for about five years now. Well, I’ve had quite a few good friends over the past four years, but none of them compare to this friend. This friend knows me better than I know myself. She knows my mind and body better than I do. She brings out a strong side of me I didn’t even know existed. She is always with me, whether I like it or not. This friend is named Cancer.

I did not meet Cancer until my freshmen year of high school, but once I met her there was no looking back. She was with me every day for ten months. She brought out the best in me, a positive attitude I didn’t know I could have in such times. We went through a lot together: confusion, scares, comfort from others, but most of all, a bond between us that was never going to go away. But like all friends, we had our fights. I would fight against her trying to push me past my breaking point, slowly to find she was only trying to help me be the best version of myself. She made me face scary situations head on. She made me study harder than I ever had to keep up with school and she forced me to be the rock for those who did not understand her ways. She even made me focus on feeling empathy toward people I had never paid attention to. No one else in my life had ever shown me that type of care before.

Other people have met Cancer. She has a few friends, but definitely more enemies. It makes me sad. I can relate to these people though as I did not like Cancer when I first met her either. But now, I can’t picture my life without her. But it’s just like they say, we don’t appreciate the good things in our lives until they are gone.

Cancer left me about four years ago. She left behind only her memory and a few scars. I will never forget these memories, as I can still picture them vividly in my head. Although she is not physically in my life anymore, I know she will always be there for me when I need her. Whenever I need a reminder of how to be strong, I will look to her. I will look to her teachings of how to be brave. If I think something in my life is difficult in the future, I will look back on the hardship we faced together, and how nothing can compare. She will always be a part of my life, and I am okay with that. Next summer I will celebrate our five-year friendship. I will be able to state Cancer is free from my life, but her memory will still live on. It will be a bittersweet experience. Maybe she will come back to me in the future, but if she doesn’t, I will be content with the person I am now because of her. So thank you, Cancer, for leaving such a mark on me. Thank you for being a good friend.