Stand Up To Cancer

There was a special on HBO tonight, Stand Up To Cancer. Everything is so inspiring. So emotional, but so inspiring. There's no promised happy ending, or ending of any kind in sight, and it blows my mind the way these people smile and move on. Keep living. Keep breathing, even when the next year or week or even day isn't guaranteed. Three year olds calling themselves ninjas as they go in for another treatment even though the chance is slim. A beautiful six year old girl smiling and laughing as they talk about her next spinal tap and bone marrow transplant as if they were discussing her outfit for the first day of school. How is it that such terrible situations can affect something unjustifiable amount of people, of children in this world and yet we're worried about who's getting elected and what they're going to to for the economy. I mean, I'm not belittling the importance of our nation's economic standing but come on. There should be priorities. Not America priorities, not political priorities, human priorities. Like curing a disease that has directly or indirectly effected almost every single person on this planet. What are we doing? I know times are tough, I know we don't have a lot and things get stressful and everybody has issues. But just for one second, think about how it would feel to look you father, you wife, you brother, you daughter in the eye and know they don't have much time left. Know that there are not enough resources for scientists to pursue the ideas that might save their lives. I don't know about you, but I can't find it in myself to look that six year old girl in the eye and say "I'm sorry, but I need this fifty dollars to buy a new shirt, so I can't help the doctors heal you." Just because you're not facing it doesn't mean it's less real, and it could knock on your own door any day. When I think about the new life around me, and the sadness I've seen, and the joy that I can find in every breath... that new shirt seems less and less important. I want to know at the end of the day that I fought the good fight, whether it means working a few extra hours or giving up the new book I wanted. There are people and causes in this world that are much bigger than I am, and I'm done pretending my life is as solitary as it is. I am the center of my world because everything I do goes through my mind, and I interpret my surroundings. And I see that as power. I have the ability to give, to fight, to help and to spread the world. To see celebrities and musicians and every day people coming together to fight the cause that isn't left or right or american or any other stupid label but instead is human. Is good and right and honest. Makes me think our politicians could learn a thing or two from that six year old. Just, please give five minutes of your night up to think about this. See if there's one thing you could give up and use that money to help this cause. Or maybe someone you can tell. Or even just a prayer to give or and positive breath to take. Something. Anything. There is no one in the world who doesn't have anything to contribute. Your life is beautiful. So let's share some happy with the rest of the world. Stand Up To Cancer. just click.