That Which Does Not Kill Us (or, The Name of the Parrot)

I am not an absolute believer in Nietzche's Nietzsche's statement -- That which does not kill us makes us stronger -- but I believe it is true far more often than not. (Come to think of it, I'm almost certain it's not in my nature to be an absolute believer in anything.)

Whether it was a "killer" workout or a mental depression, I have come out the other side better equipped to handle races, or life, than I was before.

Therefore, by one vote over all the other nominees, with only one vote cast, the winner is...

Leuk
(pronounced Luke)

Why name my companion after the monster who is the "you" in my internal marching chant, "I Will Beat You"?

This disease has been hard on me, my family, and my friends. There are more hard days to come, most likely. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Not even Dick Cheney.

But the leukemia has also brought many gifts, and, as wonderful as they have been, I'm not talking about the tangible gifts like cards, chocolate, visits, hats, calls, money, chocolate, baked goods, hats, Kindle, chocolate, hats, fruit, books... I mean the intangible, lasting gifts of learning more about other people (all good) and about myself (some good; some not, but valuable nonetheless).

It would be great if we could receive such gifts without going through a crisis, but I don't think it works that way. We may need to be rubbed raw, beaten down, and opened up in order to be receptive.

So, three cheers for Leuk, cruel sneaky bastard who tried to kill me, but who I expect will end up laying the foundation for a better, richer life.

(Note to the Fates and other mythological entities from various cultural traditions who punish hubris: I am not declaring victory. I know it's not over. There is no need to assess an excessive celebration or unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the form of, say, a nasty infection or some severe graft-vs-host disease. I'm just saying -- as much as this sucks, there's a lot of good coming out of it.)