The Strength to Remain Standing

It all comes down to strength.

Where do we find the strength to take one more pill, go through one more procedure, wait for the results of one more scan? How do we find the strength to keep moving when the pain is strong enough to bring us to our knees? We're all stronger than we think. But I'm talking about something more. Where does the strength come from to keep fighting, even when the odds may be stacked against us?

For me, I think some of it is just stubbornness. I'm not going to let the disease beat me. Or at least I'm going to make it work damn hard to get me.

We lose our strength sometimes. Over the past few weeks, I admit that I've given into despair. There have been times when it all just seemed too much.

But I've never thought about giving up. Back when I was working in Latin America, one of the rules was that if you were stopped at a roadblock, you never got on your knees. Others, including journalists, had been forced to kneel. Then they were executed. So the thinking was, never get on your knees; Well, I may have bad days. I may be weakened by the pain. It may be all I can do to fight through the day. But with all of that, I'm sure as hell not getting on my knees.

Ever.