I had a disease...

Dated: June 02, 19**

Dear Daddy,

I wish you were here with me today. I miss your magical smile; I can never forget the perfect curve your lips made when you used to smile. I always see you in the mirror sitting comfortably in your lounge chair and smiling at my little jokes. I was 5 at that time, when I first saw a tear dropping down from your eye when I asked you “Daddy, what’s wrong with me?” Because when ambulance crossed the gates, I knew this was the place where dead people went before crossing the borders. You gently rubbed your hand against my hair and kissed me on the forehead. You didn't have words to answer my question but you still managed to smile. Doctors said there are very low chances that I would be ever able to see you again; sunset was coming closer. You were worried; I rushed towards you “What happened daddy, when will we go home? You smiled and said “Honey, everything’s fine. We’ll go home soon”. A part of my body stop responding, doctors took it away and in few seconds I lost my world, I was incomplete.  When I opened my eyes, I saw you smiling with tears shedding down. It was hard for me to believe that I was left with one arm only. You taught me how to spin the football on my finger, how to play my favorite games using one hand.  Every day I swam across the lake of tears and you smiled and said “My son, big boys don’t cry”. My fun activities left me confused with an inability to enjoy them. You taught me how to live with impotence. When there was no hope, your smile gave me hope that I will survive, I would be able to play with my toys again. You lived and died each day with me. It wasn't me who struggled for my life; it was you whose smile made me alive again. Years oozed by, I survived and had a successful transplant, now after 18 years I’m all alive, standing on my own feet. This is something I have always wanted to say: “I had a disease whose cure was your smile.”

With love,
-Your cancer survivor.

The first Sunday in June is celebrated as National Cancer Survivors Day. This article is dedicated to all the Cancer survivors around the globe.