stevemayner.com

The Bible tells us to honor our father and mother. We hear it and think about obeying them as children, or perhaps making sure to call them from time to time when we are older. The whole idea of "honoring my father and mother" has taken on a whole new light over the last couple of months.

When I was in India in August, I received word that my father had been diagnosed with cancer. Our family made the decision to have his case referred to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. As soon as I returned to the United States, I flew immediately to Houston to join them as they had their first meeting with the doctors here. Thanks to the generocity of my employer, I've been able to stay here with them over the last five weeks as they have navigated through a maze of tests and more test, then finally this last week, his first round of chemotherapy.

This has been a humbling experience for me. My parents, who I always saw as bigger than life, are not the towers of strength that they once were. The years have caught up with them, and I found myself in the unfamiliar territory of having them truly rely on me. They have been genuinely grateful that I have been here to guide them through each step of the journey. I have been grateful for the opportunity. It has been a joy beyond anything I could ever describe that I have been able to serve these gentle, loving people who 44 years ago adopted me as their own.

Two days from now I will return home to my wife and children, but will continue to aid my parents in the days to come through daily phone calls, contacts with their doctors, and monitoring their status through the patient portal provided by MD Anderson. I'll also continue to update all their friends and family through dad's Caring Bridge site.

Honoring your parents has a whole new meaning to me. While I would give anything for dad to not have to face this battle, I am grateful for the opportunity to relate to these two wonderful people in a whole new way, and to give something back. I'm truly blessed.