It took me a lot longer than I expected to actually sit down and start 'blogging.' I usually have so many thoughts that it makes it difficult to even get them down on paper - which doesn't really make much sense, but moving on..

Today is July 24, 2013. Exactly a year ago today we were prepping my 22-year-old cousin to go into surgery. Last May he was diagnosed with Nut Midline Carcinoma. You've probably never heard of it, I hadn't of either. According to the doctors at Dana Farber, it's one of the rarest cancers in the world. Only about one hundred people have been diagnosed with it and there are only 2 known survivors.. Unfortuantely my cousin isn't one of them.

He was gone in three short months. This boy who I grew up with, laughed with, who I told all my secrets too. Stephen wasn't just my cousin; he was my best friend. It's been almost a year now (July 27 is the exact date), and I'm still sad. I don't think I'll ever not be sad. But I've done a lot of my grieving. Two F's in college and 40 extra pounds later I'm finally starting to get myself back on track. I don't want to sit here and write out my sob story. I'm just looking for someone who understands.