I’m Coming Over

Brian Mansfield is a writer for USA Today and was diagnosed with colon cancer at age 48.  Brian chronicles his life with cancer in a series of articles called, “My Semicolon Life.” Today, I want to share with you one example of Brian’s caregiving wisdom on what to say to a cancer patient:

Brian asks: “What’s the very best thing you can hear from a friend when you’ve got cancer?”
Brian’s Answer: “I’m coming over. What can I bring?"

Brian says, “My friend Ed calls me every week and asks me this. Ed is bigger than me and louder than me, and he puts me at ease because I know I’ll never have to worry about talking too much around him.

When Ed thinks I haven’t asked for enough, he comes up with his own ideas. The first time Ed came over, I asked him to track down a nutritional-shake powder at Whole Foods that people had recommended. Ed not only figured out what I was talking about, he also brought yogurt and smoothies and the very first copy of his new album. When I couldn't think of anyt