This week I was joined by two of my best friends since childhood, Brandon and Melissa. Since the chemo was scheduled on a normal workday morning, it didn’t occur to me to ask them to come until the night before. Nonetheless, I reached out to them Monday night and asked if they could make it. Without skipping a beat, they both rearranged their morning work obligations to keep me company!
Brandon and Melissa are step-siblings so naturally many years ago I had to combine their last names of “Zelman” and “Springer” into “Zinger”.
During childhood we always had each other’s backs. Whether it was wondrously adventuring through the forests in upstate New York or jamming buttons on team battle in Super Smash Bros., they were always there. And now, they have my back and are right there with me again during a much less fun part of my life.
I had already seen them numerous times since arriving in NY however I was even more thrilled to see them at the hospital! When you’re going through a tough time, the number one thing you need is laughter. That being said, there is nothing like Melissa’s dry sense of humor combined with Brandon stumbling into the infusion room with a CRAYOLA shirt and a Pomegranate kosher supermarket plastic bag filled with an assortment of hats. In summary, Melissa works in Marine Biology and Brandon is a comedic actor in NYC.
I mentioned to Brandon a few weeks ago that I will probably need a new hat once my hair starts to fall out. Now I have 9.
The Zinger’s brought jokes and comfort to the momentary silences as the infusion progressed. It wasn’t the ideal setting for the three of us to hangout but at the end of the day, that’s what friends are for. I am lucky to have them in my life!
Leta Cooper says:
Daniel, I am a Facebook friend of your father’s and I asked him how you were doing so he hooked me up with your progress on the computer. Wonderful invention. I am glad to see you are still with us and that you have family and great friends and most important your faith in G-d is still intact and growing. I have learned sometimes the things we ask G-d is for and the answers are not what we are hopping for at least for a space in time. When our prayers would be something we want an answer now and that G-d’s time frame is not time frame we are in . I have a very annoying medical problem that I have been fighting now since I was 34 and I am now 70. Problem still here but all my other problems G-d has taken care of so what lesson is He trying to teach me. I just have to have faith that He will bring me threw it. My problem is extreme insomnia that is very difficult to treat. The lack of sleep and the medication leaves me close to brainless so if I sound not all here that is because I am not. I will pray for you to have a speedy out come . You have a very well grounded relationship with G-d and have a great family and wonderful friends. If anyone will pull threw this it will be you. With much love for my fellow human , Leta,PS I will follow your progress and your entrees and maybe I will learn something from you and your relationship with G-d, thank you so much for posting your life with this.