Life is one big winding road. It has twists and turns, blind spots, curves, and unknown destinations.

You don’t always know which road life will take you on. You can plan your trip using the most up-to-date maps, but inevitably there will come a time when you will have to yield to diversions that will take you off course. Living with cancer is like this.

In your lifetime, there will be many people who will join you in your travels. The people you meet along the way form life’s intersections. They make the trip interesting.

Family members are the lifelong travelers who are with you throughout your journey. They’re there as your life’s road climbs up and down, through hills and valleys. They follow the curves on the road and stay with you when you hit an obstacle. They help you to maneuver through the blind spots of life until you reach your final destination. They are the steadfast travelers.

There are travelers who stay with you for awhile. They leave when there is a detour. They are unprepared to stray off course on a trip that needs to be changed. They believe they’ve served their purpose on your life’s trip and leave feeling they no longer have anything to offer. They are the weary travelers.

Some of the travelers use caution in their travels with you. They want the road you’re traveling on to go straight through. They approach life’s intersections with you seeing if they should “stop” or “go.” They use “caution” before they proceed. They are the fair weather travelers.

The light travelers are the most interesting ones in this cancer journey. They carry only the necessities with them to cross over the bridge to the other side. They know what is important to pack on life’s journey with you. They are your dear friends. They are prepared to travel on life’s bridges many times with you. They are the flexible travelers.

Cancer is trying to place stop signs on the road in my life’s journey. The people traveling with me won’t let it. I continue to drive on this bumpy road with Strength, Courage and Determination.