| Sometimes, the simplest things can be the most | | | | the hospital for observation. As the time to leave |
| profound. So it was on this beautiful morning in | | | | approached, we said our goodbyes to the children. |
| June. It was almost like any other morning in | | | | Malika,our daughter, held her brother Jonathan's |
| summer except for the peculiarity of the sunlight | | | | hand as we pulled out of the drive way. They are |
| in my backyard. The rays of light streaming | | | | very special children, these two. Born |
| through the outstretched branches seemed to | | | | approximately four years apart,they were both |
| take on a special hue. An otherworldly glow from | | | | adopted at an extremely young age. They had |
| these reflections set the tone for the day. What | | | | brought much joy into our lives and now, at the |
| a glorious morning, I thought, as I made | | | | ages of eleven and seven, were adjusting as best |
| preparations to take my wife, Mardai,to the | | | | they could to the anguish of our family dilemma. |
| hospital again. It had been slightly over two years | | | | The hospital was, perhaps, an hour's drive from |
| that Mardai, only in her thirties, had been battling | | | | home. As usual, it was good to be alone with |
| cancer. There were many things we were | | | | Mardai in the car. We spoke of the "good old |
| planning for the years ahead. The strain and | | | | days" and how kind they had been to us. We |
| stress of the disease had taken its toll on the | | | | exchanged views on my work, the children,our |
| two of us, as well as the other members of the | | | | friends and our future. Although she laughed at |
| family. There had been a time when we faced life | | | | my feeble jokes,I could see deep within her eyes |
| bravely and took no thought for the pitfalls that | | | | the shadows of sadness. With guarded |
| might lie in our way. It is my belief that one can | | | | expectations we discussed plans for our twentieth |
| become accustomed to anything.Thus it was with | | | | wedding anniversary,which was only a week and |
| our continuing fight with the disease. Over the | | | | a half away. To read the rest of the story visit |
| years the cancer had shown signs of retreating, | | | | Lecturer, entrepreneur and MBA business |
| only to return with a vengeance a short while | | | | consultant, John Harricharan is the author of the |
| later. Since Mardai had not been feeling too well | | | | award-winning book, "When You Can Walk on |
| recently, her doctor insisted on her returning to | | | | Water, Take the Boat. |