Father and Son Anonymous

This past year has been replete with indelible memories for me; there have been moments that have temporarily frozen my consciousness, and times that have called for deep introspection, all stemming from my father's unexpected battle with a malignant brain tumor. As the youngest in my family, I have never faced the burden of aging grandparents or relatives of any kind, for the elder members of my family had already passed away before I was cognizant of their deaths. I feel immensely fortunate that my life thus far has been free from marked adversity. The sensation of helplessness that accompanies incurable disease and the unprecedented awareness of time passing too quickly were, until recently, altogether novel feelings for me. Once I first heard of his diagnosis, I internally separated my father from all quotidian endeavors. The late nights at the hospital, the painful attempts to communicate with an unresponsive man, and the chills that ran up my spine every time the phone rang, were all surreal, and seemed to be part of someone else's experience. In this manner, it was naturally easy for me to carry on with my normal life at school, for my dad was simply away on business, I told myself, and would return one day as...