Make Everyday Thanksgiving

By Bob Cox

Thanksgiving is a time of the year where many of us celebrate the things we are grateful for with the people we love. The tradition of gathering with the entire family around a feast that includes a golden brown turkey with all the trimmings is something I participated in during the first four decades of my life. Then one day, my wife Diana suggested that we break tradition by paying a visit to “The Happiest Place on Earth”…Disneyland!

At first, I thought she was joking, but when I realized she was serious, I felt inspired to throw caution to the wind and experience a new adventure. As it turned out, we had a blast from morning to night, running from ride to ride until we closed down the park while sipping on hot chocolate with blurry eyes and cold hands.

Disneyland on Thanksgiving Day became our new family tradition for the next several years and we thoroughly enjoyed all the good times. After a few years of staying local, we planned to go back to The Magic Kingdom this Thanksgiving until we got the results of Diana’s biopsy on October 5^th. When the results came back positive, we were both shocked. Neither one of us thought she would be diagnosed with breast cancer. The irony that October has become breast cancer awareness month was not lost on us.

When I had everything regarding the magazine taken care of except my article; on the evening before our deadline, I asked Diana if she had any ideas about what I should write about, she said, “No, just let go and sleep on it. The answer will come to you in the night like it always does”.

When I awoke the next morning, I told her that the one and only thought that came to me was to write about our diagnosis. I knew she wouldn’t want me to share this with the world as she is an extremely private person. At first, she was opposed to the idea for that reason and also believed it was too heavy and negative, especially when the holidays are meant to be a joyous celebration with family and friends. When I told her that I thought there was a way to bring the two experiences together, she gave me her blessings.

From the first time I met this amazing, inspiring, compassionate and loving woman 20 years ago during a LeTip business meeting, every day feels like Thanksgiving. I’m not saying that we haven’t argued passionately on more than a few occasions over matters large and small, because we have. What am I saying is in spite of, or more likely because of these disagreements, we have learned more about each other and have grown closer with the passing of each second. She is my best friend, my soul mate and the love of my life and I will be forever grateful for every moment we’re together.

Are we scared or worried that she may not survive? No. We understand the danger were in but neither one of us is afraid of death. We’re not trying to be positive or courageous; we just happen to have an absence of fear.

How on earth could we possibly not be afraid? Because Diana and I are wholeheartedly convinced that death is not the final chapter in our soul’s existence. Growing up, my dad, who suffered from a variety of health related issues, including heart disease, was everything to me and the one person I loved more than life itself. For 23 agonizing years, I was a slave to the morbid fear of what life would be like without him. When he finally passed away from cancer, I felt the presence of his warm and loving spirit just as strongly as I felt so much love for him and from him. Can I prove that his spirit lived on long after his last breath? No, not any more than I can prove how much we loved each other. What we feel is what’s really real.

Does this mean that Diana and I are lying down and giving up to the ravenous monster that’s invaded our home? Absolutely not! We’re confident that the key to beating any “disease” is to starve it out by depriving it of the things it feeds off of (toxins and stress) and then overwhelm it with “ease”. That means we plan to do even more of the things that bring us joy, peace and happiness by embracing life’s simplest pleasures and do them “Conehead Style”: In Mass Quantities! We will also endeavor to eat healthier and build our immune systems to starve the beast out while avoiding any negative emotions like deprivation.

I believe the secret to living every day like its Thanksgiving is to spend as much time as possible with the people we truly love and respect, appreciate all the blessings and good times we’ve had and avoid mourning the things we’ve lost. Fear has no part in any feast or joyous occasion and your life; my friend, deserves to be celebrated!