This Cowboy's Naked Truth

First of all, a Happy Easter to y'all.  This is the first Easter in almost forty years where I have not watched my children celebrate or have the traditional Easter dinner.  It is all good however.  Yesterday I moved my ex wife, mother in law and two daughters into their new home.  As a father, I couldn't be happier for my girls and for my ex and her mother, I am also happy for them.  Fortunately, Patty and I, are still good friends, work together for the happiness of our daughters and personally that is the way it should be.  Unfortunately, divorces more often than not produce bitterness, anger, resentment, and hostility.  It's the children that suffer most and I am blessed that my daughters are only a few blocks away and have adjusted well.
Lately I have been thinking quite hard about this transplant I am to have.  As I stated in my previous blog it looks like the end of April when I will enter the hospital.  I no longer get to excited about anything until I see it happening, but I am optimistic that the doctors will make this happen soon.
The other night, I met a man who lives here in Chino Hills.  Some of you may know him.  His name is Carlos.  His son fell thirty feet, landed on his head, and is paralyzed from the fall.  I have met his ex wife before and know of their son's story.  As we talked he told me that it was the hardest thing he had every had to go through knowing that his son, his boy, would not be able to do the things that other young men can do.  Every father who has sons, I have two, always wants to be able to play catch, go fishing, go hunting, do things that a father and son do together.  This father and son can't.  All I could really was just listen to his story.  What impressed me most of all however was the will and determination of this father and his son to not give up on their dreams.  When I came home that evening I laid down and thought over what Carlos had said.  I thought about this blog page and what this blog page was set up to do.  To inspire others through the trials and tribulations that I'am going through.  After I read my last post I realized that I had not done that.  So, this is where it is.  I will go into the hospital, do the transplant and if God is willing I will walk out.  I will fight this cancer until I have no more breath left in my body.  The glass is half full, not half empty.  As bad as I feel sometimes, as much as I yell in my pillow at night, or just want to throw into the towel, I can't and I won't.  Everywhere I go it seems someone knows me.  They compliment me on my optimism and the fight I have inside of me.  It's overwhelming at times.  Sometimes I just don't have the words to respond back.  It is as though a huge responsibility has been placed on my shoulders and it is imperative that I succeed and win this battle.  I accept the responsibility and am thankful for those people who either follow my journey, have provided, or are praying for my recovery.  I will just leave it up to the Lord and whatever he says or decides will be what I shall do.
May y'all have a wonderful Easter and truly remember what this day represents.  Until the next time, sit tall in the saddle.