Reflecting on Father’s Day and Fertility

My dad taught me a lot. Because of him, I’m a passionate sports fan. I was wrapped in a Cubs blanket when I was born – remnants of his hometown of Chicago traveled with him to my birthplace in Austin. Baseball, football, basketball, golf, soccer… he introduced me to all of those and more. But above all, he taught me to be competitive. I owe a lot to my dad. Yes, he may have instilled a deep love for heartbreaking teams like the Chicago Cubs and Bears, but also the legacies of coaches like Vince Lombardi and Jimmy V. He positively reinforced my athletic endeavors. It was never “don’t strike out” but always “be smart, get a hit.” He refrained from berating me on the sideline of a soccer game; instead he would pat me on the shoulder and remind me how much time was left to score again. This glass-is-half-full mentality carried over into my battle with cancer. When I got sick at the age of 10, he printed huge banners that said “Failure is not an option” and “Tough times don’t last, tough PEOPLE do!” over my hospital bed. He stayed with me on weekends and we watched sports together. I wanted to make him proud. I wanted to win at cancer just like I won at sports. As I was laying in bed, I hoped one day to have a son of my own. Picture that. 10 years old, tubes running in and out of my body. Shackled to a hospital bed, I pictured my future son. I envisioned teaching him the same things that my dad taught me. After five years of battling four cancers, ove...
Source: LIVESTRONG Blog - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Source Type: blogs