Today, I cut my hair!
I did it for my beautiful and AMAZING friend Jill, who was the coxswain on my crew team in high school and who has since gone on to become the coxswain for CAL VARS CREW, pac10 champions and just an amazingly talented girl. Last June, she was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer (never smoked) that had spread to her liver and her bones. Well Jill is not one to take this diagnosis sitting down, and she has since completed her first semester of senior year, is still racing for Cal (and winning), and trying all kinds of chemo to get those scans clear. Yesterday she began a round of chemotherapy that will take her hair away. So, for the second time in two years, CHOP CHOP CHOP off with my hair!
Jill is amazing, inspirational, incredibly strong, and has a LOT of faith. She has also raised over 60,000 dollars for lung cancer research since her diagnosis through "Jog for Jill," her birthday wish, and other various activities. Needless to say, we should all feel lucky to know her and have her in our lives.
Her story is a reality check for a lot of my generation, us 21 and 22 year olds living invincible lives. Her story helps me to remember how important it is to give back, to believe in something, and to live fully. Funny, those are all things St. Ignatius drilled into our heads all throughout high school and things I have since lost touch with. College has been a wild and crazy ride, and I will be sad to see it end, but it is also the beginning. I can reinvent myself, I can find a career path I never thought I would have, I can start living my life in a different way. Being out in the real world is so scary because we are unprotected and no one is out there to help us (besides our awesome parents, of course). What I mean is, there are tutors for a really hard accounting class. But there are no tutors for a difficult job choice or the daily decisions of living on our own (and I'm pretty sure there are no "hey, do your own taxes" tutors either). Suddenly, I cannot skip class because it is a beautiful day and make up the work the next day. I actually look forward to this renewed sense of accountability and responsibility. Now, if only I knew where I would be living come September...
I am excited for the opportunities post-grad has to offer me. I am excited for my life to take on a life of its own and guide me down many different paths until I find the one I think fits me best. I am excited for the adventure that is coming for me down the road. Most of all, I am excited to give back, to find something to believe in, and to life every day to the fullest extent. Thanks St. Ignatius, and thanks Jill, for reminding us all what it means to be alive, happy, and embracing.
"The future is so bright that I have got to wear shades" – Timbuk3
