Positive thinking helps when life throws hardballs

It’s difficult writing a humor column when life throws hardballs, as it has over the past two weeks when my father-in-law, Brad, found out he has colon cancer and, following a surgery to remove it, it was revealed the cancer had spread.
But laughter and finding positives in this unfair world can be good medicines that may help him beat this.
He received a good dose of positive when his nephew, Ryan, came through on a promise people only fulfill in movies or television.
Ryan, a senior at the Milwaukee School of Engineering and an all-around great kid, races vehicles at the Slinger Super Speedway on the weekends in his quest to someday join his heroes – people like Dale Earnhardt – as a NASCAR racer. It’s a dream he’s had as long as I’ve known him, and probably long before that, too.
He visited his uncle in the hospital on Saturday and told Brad he was going to win the next day’s race for him.
Ryan has placed second in a couple of races, but he has never captured a checkered flag. Making a statement like that would be bold even for racers that have won dozens of races, but coming from someone who hasn’t completely proved himself on the track yet is beyond bold. It’s audacious.
I’d bet even overly-confident football player Terrell Owens and just-as-cocky NASCAR racer Tony Stewart would never promise to catch a touchdown pass or win a race for someone, knowing the odds are greatly stacked against them doing so.
Only Gary Cooper as Lou Gehrig in the film “The Pride of the Yankees” could make such a promise – to hit two homeruns for a sick boy – and fulfill it. Well, Cosmo Kramer made a similar promise on Yankee Paul O’Neill’s behalf in an episode of “Seinfeld,” but that was only because he was trying to get back an autographed photo he accidentally gave to the boy.
Ryan not only came through on his promise, winning the 18-lap Thunderstock division race Sunday, Aug. 2, but he did so in a determined and convincing fashion, leading from start to finish.
The first thing he did after getting out of his vehicle was to call his uncle in the hospital and let him know he captured the checkered flag.
I get goose bumps every time I think about this feat, and it gives me, and others, hope that even if the odds are stacked against him, Brad will pull a Ryan and beat those odds.
Technically, we don’t even know what the battle will be like, as he hasn’t started chemotherapy yet and his doctor is still trying to determine the next course of action.
No matter what the doctor determines, we are optimistic Brad will be a good fighter. It’s in his genes. His cousin, Bob, was given months to live after being diagnosed with cancer. Bob’s still around, not only beating the odds he was given but smashing them into oblivion.
Bob visited his cousin this week in the hospital, living proof that positive thoughts work.
I know if anyone can beat cancer, it’s Brad. The guy has a stare he gives to people who wrong him or his family that would send even the strongest and mightiest of people whimpering back to their mamas. I’ve only seen this stare when he’s told me stories about others wronging him, and it scares the heck out of me. I bet he’ll stare his cancer down and every last cancer cell will bolt out of his body.
Also working in his favor is his own good, positive attitude. For him, he has said this is just another “bump in the road.” He even took time to show my 4-year-old son and his grandchild, Braden, his big band aid and talk about the special machines he’s hooked up to at the hospital. So if his toughness doesn’t beat it, his positive attitude probably will.
Or maybe just some good old-fashioned laughing will. Braden has become a master at making people laugh, so if we get him to see his grandpa enough that will be the ultimate medicine no doctor can prescribe.