No way! A gift is something nice and it often comes in a pretty package. That said, being diagnosed with cancer brings with it many opportunities for growth...

There are lots of things I would have never done had I not had cancer. I would have never run a marathon (I've now done 4!!). I would have never climbed Mt. Whitney (did that on 9/12/07 with a group of 5 other women: 22-mile round trip, 6100+ ft. elevation gain, summit 14,497 feet...but who's counting? ). I would have never opened Delaney's Place. I can't imagine my life without it now. I wouldn't be the nutrition nut I've become (my husband and son are the healthier for it, and grateful too [I think], even though they tire of my diatribes on the evils of partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup and the like). I would not be the carpe diem chick I am today (oh, I'm still a planner and a deliberate decision-maker, but sometimes I just throw all caution to the wind and go for something; life's too short to do otherwise). And then there's the tolerance thing. If a situation's not right, I can no longer pretend it doesn't exist. I do what I can to fix it.