I bet it’s been at least three months since I’ve seen him walking his dogs up and down the street. He’s always been a friendly man with a warm smile and gentleness about him.

He loves his two dogs too.  He carries treats in his pocket, so if they slow down to sniff the grass or to say “Hello” to some one like me, they quickly turn to their “dad” for a treat. He plays the tough master for a minute, but these two know it’s only an act and a dog biscuit is in their immediate future.

That was then and this is now.  NOW he walks his pals very early in the morning and only sometimes, depending on how his wife is feeling.

Yes, cancer has entered  her life, so it’s entered his life too. The strain from this life change is obvious. He’s tired.  The care giver takes on a certain look.

She’s in treatment now and the chemo is hard and they have decided to fight this fight with a few friends for support, but the circle is small and closed.  Privacy is their cloak of protection.  It’s a change from what their former lives were all about.

Living in cancer world doesn’t give us many choices, we just put our heads down and “fight the fight.”  Losing control of our lives, the way we used to live, is one of the biggest complaints that come with this new world.  So making the decision to close ranks and share the battle with just a few is a big decision.  It says “I’m taking control of what I can and this is one choice I can make.”  Privacy rules….sharing takes a back seat.

We all do it differently.  We all have our reasons for doing it differently.  It’s in our control.

What isn’t, is how this disease changes us all.