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