Vanesa looked around at her friends and family with admiration. They had gathered together to celebrate her 30th birthday. Everyone knew that birthdays were important to her and she always had huge gatherings on her special day. Vanesa looked around at everyone laughing, eating, and drinking; she was enjoying the warm, loving atmosphere that surrounded her. As she stood up to make her thank you speech, she gently tinged her fork against the wine glass.
“Could I have everyone’s attention, please?” she said in an elated tone.
“Thank you so much for being here today. I have reached my wonderful 30s and I am so glad that everyone could make it to celebrate with me.” She paused as the room erupted into applause and cheers.
“We are here to celebrate me and my awesome existence on earth for the past 30 years. However, we are also here to celebrate something else as well, the end of my existence on earth.” Vanesa’s voice cracked slightly at the end of her statement. People began looking around at each other, confused and dismayed by what she was saying. Vanesa took a deep breath and continued speaking.
“I learned the other day that I have stage 4 ovarian cancer and I have been given only a few months to live.” Gasps were heard all around the room.
“The doctors have told me to make the best of my time, so that is what I am going to do. I have decided to quit my job and travel all around the world with my sister and brother. Please, I do not want your pity or tears, only your prayers.” Vanesa wiped the tears from her eyes and exclaimed, “All right, let’s party!”
As the DJ began to play, people started whispering and looking at Vanesa. She was oblivious to the attention. She began to dance to the music, swaying back and forth and her arms were waving side to side. She slowly closed her eyes and became engrossed in the music. She danced as if she didn’t have a care in the world. Bit by bit her guests joined her on the dance floor and danced like they never danced before. And it felt amazing.
Author: Anita Smith
Email: [email protected]
Author Bio: My passion for the written word began long ago. As a young girl, I spent hours writing in my journal about future plans and the world around me. It was inevitable that I would earn my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in English. I spread my passion for literature to young minds as a high school English teacher. I then moved onto teaching at a technical school and worked in educational testing for a few years until my current position as an editor for a medical board. In my spare time, I enjoy writing, dancing, spending time with family and friends and watching movies.
Link to social media or website: Facebook— Anita Holloway Smith
