The Stuff That Matters

The thing about cancer is that it doesn't give a **** who you are or how old you are or who you know or how much money your folks left you in that trust fund or how many jobs you're working to keep food on the table or how many hours you spent studying for the class spelling bee or how many Lyle Lovett CDs you've got in your collection. The f@#king thing just shows up one day--unannounced, like a loutish uncle--and you have to deal. But, ghastly as it sounds, it's one thing that we all have in common: it can happen to any of us. Tomorrow, it could be you. Or your dad. Or your mom. Or your kids. Or your butcher. You just don't know.Scary ****, yes. That's why it's particularly reassuring to know that the folks at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and The Jimmy Fund Clinic are working around the clock to help us deal. Maybe you'll be lucky enough to never need their services. But if you ever do, it's good to know they're there.With the government...