My Family's Battle with Cancer

"Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever."
-Jimmy V

A little over a year ago, I lost my grandma to a battle with cancer in December 2007. Because I played my freshman season three hours away at Kenyon College, she never got to see me play a college basketball game. That may be one of my biggest regrets. I know she's watching from up above but it still breaks my heart that she never saw a game.

Ever felt an angel's breath in the gentle breeze? A teardrop in the falling rain? Hear a whisper amongst the rustle of leaves? Or been kissed by a lone snowflake? Nature is an angel's favorite hiding place. -Carrie Latet

My Guardian Angel

Dear Angel ever at my side,

how lovely you must be---

To leave your home in heaven,

to guard a child like me.

When I'm far away from home,

or maybe hard at play--

I know you will protect me,

from harm along the way.

Your beautiful and shining face,

I see not, though you're near.

The sweetness of your lovely voice,

I cannot really hear.

When I pray, you're praying too,

Your prayer is just for me.

But, when I sleep you never do,

You're watching over me.

Before every game, during the National Anthem, I bow my head and pray. I pray for a number of things: for no one to get hurt, for us to win..., and oddly enough, every single game when I look at the flag, I see and think of my Grandma. I know she's there watching me and suddenly I feel a sense of peace. A lot of athletes have pre-game rituals and weird superstitions but that is mine. It's probably the only thing that's a constant before every game. I never stretch the same, warm up the same or do the same routines. I kind of like it that way. I work on whatever I feel isn't doing so well or working that day whether it's my inside game or my outside, my dribbling or my pull-up game. I stretch whatever muscle has decided to hurt that day and the music on my ipod is always changing and I never replay a playlist from a game we lost, but every game no matter how i'm feeling, what is ailing or who we're playing, I look at the flag, pray and think of my Grandma.