A Musing Mother 6

Being a member of a family is absolutely vital for a person's well-being. Not exactly an original thesis statement, but hear me out. I have found that spending time with my parents and sibs brings that feeling of "I'm home" and "Look! I'm not crazy, my whole family does it, too!"  As an added bonus, talking on the telephone with any of my sisters is a cleansing experience. ( Warning: This is where I over share ). If any of my sisters are talking to one another (myself included), you can bet at least one of us is sitting on the toilet. We share a number of similarities and bonding qualities. There are four girls and one boy. Two are school counselors. Three are former school teachers. One is a social worker (odd man out, Mike) but he's also a former school teacher (back in). We can't stand each other. We can't live without one another. We find ourselves congregated at my parents house without invitation. My youngest sister and I found ourselve...

It all begins in the smallest place imaginable; a single cell. The message quietly encoded to tell the cell how to behave are all in order. When one cell dies, the proteins dictate how to turn a replacement cell on. The cells split and a perfect clone is achieved.  Except one. One cell includes renegade codes. The one protein that includes the code to turn off the replicator is missing. The cells split, grow, split grow over and over again. Unkindly, the faulty cells grow in different directions, weaving tentacles throughout the tissue like an octopus on steroids, forming pathways of corruption for months, even years. Eventually the host feels different. Some feel weak, others feel a lump, others suffer an injury. Time stands still as the patient hears heavy words and shock hits until reality sinks in. You have cancer. Surgery is scheduled to remove the cells, to dig into the tissue and find every last tentacle. Chemicals are poured into ports with measured steadiness and gloved ...