"Bah humbugs" are not welcome here

"Bah humbug!"

We all know the famous line by Charles Dicken's Ebenezer Scrooge, but more and more people lately seem to be saying the "bah humbugs" this holiday season.

2011 has certainly been a trying year for our family, one that started with two heart-wrenching events in January (quite a mess to clean up, that's for sure) and another with my wife being diagnosed with AML (acute myeloid leukemia) in April.  We worked through the events in January and learned our lessons from it as it prepared us for the near-fatal disease that turned our world inside out.  Luckily, with today being day 91 after her bone marrow transplant, she's back at home and recovering quite well.  She still has weekly appointments in Rochester for the next few weeks, and then they'll change to monthly.


It'd be easy for me to be pissed off at the world and just spout off a horde of "bah humbugs" . . . but I'm not.  Before I go on, I certainly don't need anyone to feel sorry for me.  That's not the point of this.  Because, believe it or not, there are other people worse off in this world than even us.

For those out there who have to be constantly spouting off their "bah humbugs" on everyone, I have three words for you:

GET OVER IT!

Our family of five could've very easily ended the year as a family of four.  Thank God we're not.  Is the war over?  Certainly not.  We're fighting battles every single day.  Thank God we have close family and friends (and a community) who are willing to help out at a moment's notice.

Speaking directly to you "bah humbugs" out there, you could have very valid reasons for feeling that way.  I understand.  But I choose not to do so, not to have those negative attitudes.  I choose to live my life looking to the future, seeing the glass as half-full, and knowing life is going to get better.  Sure, there will be more curveballs thrown at us.  We're ready for them.  We'll work through them like we have everything else.

And always remember that there are others who can't help but get struck with those curveballs . . .