Selara

Life can turn on a dime, and shift course in a heartbeat.

Meet Selara, a precocious 13 year old who loves soccer and has a typical teenage crush on Justin Bieber. She smiled shyly as I teased her about her crush. Bad headaches turned into a frightening diagnosis of a brain tumor. Soccer practice turned into trips to the hospital. Surgery. Radiation. Chemo. A long and arduous journey ahead.

When I met her, even through tired eyes, her smile lit up the room. The children at the Montessori were decked up in purple — her favorite color — for a quick meet and greet. We wanted them to meet her, as they get ready for their ‘trike-a-thon” to raise money for this princess. For a few minutes, we were able to distract her from her reality, as she kicked a soccer ball and feasted on a purple popsicle. Wearing her purple crown. So beautiful. So innocent. So tragic.

Her mom’s eyes welled up with tears, as I gave her a reassuring hug. What else could I do?
She thanked me profusely for making her baby girl smile, and raising money for her family.
I wish, I could make her tears go away. I wish I could do more. I hate cancer. And the lives it destroys.

I think we must all pause, count our blessings, and stop complaining about the mundane.
We really do not have any problems. Amazing what you can learn from a child.