A New Day... A New Direction... A New Life

Yesterday was the day I set three months ago as the moment when, with my life pulled together, I would ask (again) for Marsha to marry me. It was planned, in true romantic form, for the top of the Empire State Building... Magic!

Yesterday, instead, was the end of our 17 and a half years of relationship.

Almost exactly ten years after her first treatments for cancer, ten years after I spent every day going to doctors and evaluating the various proposals for treatments, being Marsha's driver, her second pair of ears, her secretary and her backup brain. Ten years after I spent a year of my life helping to keep her alive; cooking for her, driving for her, tending to her while she sat with life-threatening, soul ripping chemicals dripping into her bloodstream. Going home with her weak and nauseated, looking already like death warmed over, but really only starting out again with a whole new life. A life that grew strong and smart and healthy and lovely again. A whole new life that ultimately came to the point that it was always leading to, a life without me in it.

Ironically, yesterday was a similar day for another love of my life, my city, my home… New Orleans. In the same manner as before, doctors and other learned folk are presently swarming all over my sweetheart's body, examining her vital signs, evaluating her potential, and proposing various forms of dangerous and unpleasant solutions to rid her of the cancer that is stealing away her life. My new love currently lies broken, dangerous chemicals running through her bloodstream, her once lovely features looking ugly, haggard, chopped off and dead. But I've already been through this once and I have faith that there is life on the other side of the darkness.

New Orleans was already a Magic city, rich with culture, food and music; full of life. Every night a night for dancing. Every day filled with something new to find. While she is sick now, she won't be that way for long, and I plan on helping her come back to life. Back to a life even more exciting, more dynamic and more vibrant than it was before.

Count me in docs… I've got experience with this kinda thing!