It’s been a month since I first began writing the series on local cancer survivors. And, I can honestly say my thoughts about cancer have dramatically changed.

I would see the commercials about the Montgomery Cancer Center or the children stricken with cancer from the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in times past, but I thought nothing about them.

Driving down the road or walking to a neighborhood store, I’d see the pink license plates and ribbons promoting cancer research from time to time but I never gave any of that a second thought — until now.

Interviewing Adrian Moppins, Alisa Smiley-Simpson, Erdine Jones, Jan Parker and Lynda Blackmon Lowery and getting to know a fellow coworker who survived cancer, really put things in perspective for me.

They made me realize just how blessed and fortunate I am to be alive and healthy.

Stop and think of how blessed you are. You may not have everything you want and you may have suffered a few disappointments in life but you’re not dead. Stop complaining and be grateful for the little things in life.

Be appreciative of time spent with family and friends. Realize that things could be a lot worse.

So many of these survivors had close brushes with death but their resilience, determination and faith in God helped them to overcome their personal adversities.

When doctors gave the survivors grim news and when survivors weren’t confident of recovery, something inside of them propelled them to hope.

A quiet strength and peace that only God could give protected their hearts and minds while they experienced excruciating chemotherapy and radiation and the embarrassment of hair loss or dignity.

Having and defeating cancer made these survivors realize that family and friends are the most important things in life and moments spent with them are to be cherished.

The famous quote, “Life is not about the breaths you take but the moments that take your breath away,” became alive in their lives.

Cancer knows no borders. It affects us all. Whether you had a family member or friend with cancer, you know someone who has suffered from it or overcame it.

These survivors made me care about the cause and I hope from reading their stories you do too.