We love lists — top party schools, the most popular restaurants, the best places to retire. There’s even a reference book for quantifiable Top 10 lists on a wide variety of subjects, appropriately called the Top 10 of Everything.
But here’s a list we can get behind! Here are 10 things cancer survivors have done.
1.) Climbed Mount Everest. Go, Sean Swarner!
2.) Won the dragon boat team of the year. Go, Ngawai Richardson!
3.) Built a Habitat home. Go, Jimmy Carter!
4.) Launched a campaign for the Maryland House of Delegates. Go, Vaughn Stewart!
5. Won an Olympic medal. Go, Novlene Williams-Mills!
6. Carried and gave birth to a beautiful daughter! Go, Jami DeMarco!
7. Got inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Go, Mario Lemieux!
8.) Cast a vote against a health bill that would have hurt people with cancer. Go, Sen. John McCain!
9.) Interviewed Prince Harry. Go, Robin Roberts!
10.) Graduated from college. Go, Justin Ozuna!
In actuality, we could just as easily listed 100 things — or 100 million things — that cancer survivors have done. Every day, we are adding more and more to the list. We’re working, taking care of our families, making films, making babies, writing books, holding elected office, opening businesses, traveling, growing gardens, accomplishing all kinds of feats, big and small.
There is life after cancer, and we know it because we live it every day. And that’s something worth celebrating.