Cancer can't stop me from dreaming big

This makes the 15th Christmas that my family has celebrated in spite of stage 4 cancer. The first years were spent with more tears and fears than jubilation, followed by the years that were sprinkled with acceptance and still others that were held tightly with the fragility of life mirrored in every thought. Each season the mysterious gift of time has given us memories that hold magic. As each year unfolds, the muchness of the present moment shines brightly with untold opportunity.As I write this, I'm on a flight to Los Angeles. Next, my family and I will board a flight that marks the largest and most unlikely item off of my bucket list: Australia and The Great Barrier Reef. Every day, I am thankful for the blessing of another day. It is more than enough to wake up to the morning light and the wonder of the muchness that awaits my day. There is no minute that I don't consider a miracle, and yet, I'm about to experience something that has long been illuminated in my dreams. I've anticipated the emotion of stepping off of the plane in Sydney and wonder if it is how Neil Armstrong felt when he stepped foot onto the moon. With stable tumors and life as normal as life can be with stage 4cancer, I'm thinking a lot about this bucket list wish that was written in the early years of my diagnosis. I could have never known just how much meaning Australia would hold in my life. Sir-spheres weren't on the treatment plan back then and it wasn't until long after I had received my dose of little magic beads that I learned they were manufactured there. In January, I will celebrate my eighth anniversary from my treatment and the milestones that have occurred in the time since. Not only am I fulfilling a personal dream with my family alongside, but also able to truly thank those who made this opportunity possible. They are like extended family already – and when it seemed unlikely that a trip of this magnitude would be in my future – HOPE was written in the sky above Sydney Harbor. I look at that photo, knowing that it brought closeness to a dream that was never expected to become a reality. The words of Jim Caridi echo through my mind, "Dream a dream and then believe it will come true." To all of you, who like me, are out there living and breathing every day and dreaming and hoping – don't stop!! When the dream seems unreachable, don't stop dreaming. When all that you wish for seems hopeless, keep hoping. The improbable is often possible!