In an Instant

I have always heard people say that your life can change in an instant. And I believed them. But I never thought our life would change that quickly. We were lucky people. We had two amazing girls. Chris had really good hair. We had craft beer in our refrigerator. What more could we ask for? What more could we want?

We now define our life in two segments: Before Clare's diagnosis and after. The day before Clare's diagnosis, we went to a farmer's market and bought a $4 cupcake and some gluten free protein balls. I am not gluten free and I am not even that crazy about protein. The day after Clare's diagnosis I spent hours crying, researching, and talking on the phone with doctors. I didn't even know that there was such a thing as a "Radiation Oncologist."

And in another instant, our life changed again. We recently found out that Chris's position would be eliminated. In our pre-diagnosis life, this would be devastating. I would have panicked and cried for days. I would have been searching frantically for jobs in the area. I would have called everyone I know and helped him update his resume. In our post-diagnosis life, I said, "Hmmm." And then I changed Maren's diaper and made dinner. Nothing impacts us the same. This new life change for us will certainly be tough, but not any worse than what we are already experiencing. When life is already really tough these "little" issues aren't as monumental. We won't have as much craft beer, which is a shame, because I can think of no other time in my life when I need a good, strong beer. But that's OK. Chris still has really good hair, and I will try to find solace in that. And hopefully some potential employers will too.