Cancer Patient Living In Her Car

11:15 AM Tuesday June 17, 2014

On the white board of a tiny blue room in an obscure city of San Diego, California, it reads: 

"Sherry (Client), 

               Cancer patient living in her car." 

On movie screens in hundred of theaters across the entire world shows the story of:

"The Fault in Our Stars". 

Sherry, that is all I know about this mysterious woman with cancer who lives in her car somewhere on the streets of San Diego. I have no way of knowing where this lady is and I have no way of knowing who wrote that prayer request on the board. All I know is that time for her... is running out. 

I wonder if the blue marks on that white board share any resemblance to the struggle of cancer portrayed in the other blue and white book. I wonder what kind of reactions people will have after reading the book and then reading the board. I wonder if all this generation of people know about cancer is "The Fault in Our Stars". 

I wonder if she is alone. I wonder if anyone will notice her, if they would find her and help her. I wonder if... by the time I read, if it was already too late. 

I spent a good two mins just standing by the door and staring at those blue lines. Within those couple of letters and words lies a greater story that I will never know. No story is as simple as life and death, but for Sherry, I cannot help but think of what her story would be like, how it ends, her battle with cancer. It pained me when I realize that not only will I never know that story, there are billions of people in the world who will never come across this message and will not even know Sherry existed- wouldn't even care. She is only on person in the entire universe, a speck of dust but still important and still valued. From our comfortable homes, other people are just numbers and figures and we are numbers and figures to them. But I challenge this and I want to challenge you. Everyone has a story, a prayer, and everyone has a time limit. Learn their stories, share your story, break some hearts, and have your heart broken because life is short and not everyone gets a chance to have their story played on the big screen. 

-Charlie