Seven years ago today, on June 28th, 2015, I married the woman of my dreams. It was a beautiful, sunny day on the shores of Lake Michigan. Just our immediate families were there, standing on a little bluff about four feet above us. Danielle's childhood pastor performed the ceremony while we said our own vows, waves lapping at our feet. We had met a little under two years before that day; the nearly nine years (8 ¾ if you want to be specific - between ⅕ and ¼ of my life) I had with Danielle were undoubtedly the best years of my life. I don't often think about the raw numbers like this. But on our anniversary, a day celebrating such numbers, it's hard not too. People ask me how I'm doing, and my usual answer is "okay". It's true enough, I suppose, in aggregate. Most days, I keep busy and go through the motions. I might even have some fun, whether personally or vicariously through Torin. I can think and talk about Danielle calmly. Sometimes, though, I crumble...
Life changed quickly when I found out I had a brain tumor on January 14th, 2011, and that that tumor was cancer on the 27th. This is the documentation of my life since cancer, the ups, downs, and in-betweens, and most importantly, finding One Less Thing To Worry About... every step, every day.