I thought my blogging days were over. My cancer seems to be in abeyance now, I’m out jogging again and generally I feel like my old self again.
However, a phone call I received last Friday from a dear friend has prodded me to start writing again.
Jacques Carron is a retired French teacher from Brebeuf College where he and I were colleagues for over twenty years. I always felt I had a lot in common with Jacques. Aside from the obvious fact that we both come from French Canadian ancestry, Jacques and I share a passion for working with young people, playing bridge and the physical labour that comes from gardening.
However, unlike me, Jacques is a globetrotter who two years ago went on a junket to China with a group of tourists. He fell in love with the country and decided to stay on after the tour had finished. With an unbounded sense of adventure and joie to vivre, Jacques roamed the country by himself for a few weeks in an effort to immerse himself in a culture that captivated him. He is the first to admit that the language barrier limited his cultural experience and so he has embarked on a regime of weekly lessons in Cantonese to better prepare himself for his next visit.
During my cancer time, Jacques was probably my most supportive booster. Almost daily, he would send me encouraging notes, suggestions about some of the dietary ways to fight cancer and funny jokes and stories to brighten my day. The introduction to my blog, the quote from the book The Life of Pi, came at a suggestion from Jacques.
A CT scan last week revealed that Jacques has colon cancer. He will undergo more testing this week before surgery in the near future. His prognosis is good although currently he is in some discomfort.
Jacques left me with two words at the end of our poignant conversation…attitude and gratitude. He is fully aware how important it is to keep a positive attitude during this challenging time in his life. His gratitude for this badly wrapped gift from God is a wonderful testament to the strength of both his faith and his character.
Mon ami, know that you will soon be returning to China and that you have my steadfast support and that of the entire Brebeuf College family.
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