September is National Blood Cancer Awareness month and the 29th of September is the annual Light the Night walk in Dayton. Sponsored by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and held at the Fraze pavilion, this event is the epitome of community. Hundreds of people gather together to support patients & survivors, remember those who have lost the battle, and honor the families and friends who never stop fighting. It also raises hundreds of thousands of dollars every year that is used for research & development of new treatments as well as continued patient care.
As a survivor of blood cancer, I wanted to write something to help raise awareness and attempt to offer a positive take on such a
terrible disease…
If you have been anywhere in ear shot of me in the last 5 years, you know that I had cancer. It is one of my favorite things to talk about- not because it gets me attention (well, not entirely), but because it is therapeutic for me. Talking about it so openly has allowed me to face the awful things that come along with fighting and beating and recovering from the cancer. In the last year, though, my 5th year in remission, I realized something: cancer is the best thing that ever happened to me.
The process was long and excruciating, and I wouldn’t wish that pain on anybody. But I do wish more people could see this life through my eyes. I went from an underachieving, lost, young adult to an underachieving, lost, young adult who lives fearlessly, loves deeply, and laughs louder than anyone enjoy
s listening to. The petty things that once troubled me don’t even appear on my radar anymore. The feelings I was afraid to show to protect myself from being hurt now exude from everything I am. The small things that they say mean everything, do indeed mean everything to me these days. It is liberating to live a life not bound with fear and it has allowed me to feel a kind of happiness that you see on a little kid’s face when the ice cream truck turns onto their street.
In the past, I have described cancer as a tunnel. At the beginning, it is nearly impossible to see the light at the end. Some people, too many people, never make it out. But those of us that do, walk out into the brightest, warmest sunlight we have ever known. The world above is far more beautiful when you have been trapped beneath it for so long.
In my life after cancer, I have learned a few things that define how I live each day:
· Though it is flawed and sometimes disappointing, this world is actually an amazing place. Every single day, beautiful things happen, but so many people miss them because they are hanging their heads. Our time here is too short to let the bad overshadow the good.
· Guilt is consuming- I felt a lot of it because I lived when so many others died. I also felt guilty about being the reason everyone I loved was so sad. But in life, you will make mistakes, hurt people, disappoint yourself and others. Letting the guilt weigh you down makes it so much harder to rise above the pain. The moment I let go of my guilt is the moment I started to find my way back.
· No words are more powerful than the ones that tell others how you feel. Life is defined by the relationships we build and the love that we give. When someone makes your life better, tell them. Tell them why and how much they matter to you. And tell them often.
· Society will try to define us- try to mold us into what is considered “normal”. It will try to influence who we are and what is important to us. Don’t let it. We have an obligation to ourselves and the people who love us to be authentic.
· When I was younger, I used to think being popular mattered. I wanted everyone to like me and I didn’t handle it well when people didn’t. But through this experience I learned that it is not about being loved widely, it is about being loved deeply. And trying everyday to be someone worthy of it.
Cancer is the worst. That is why raising money for the LLS has become a passion for my family and friends. But who I am now, I owe to this disease. My eyes might be the same blue, but the world they see isn’t.
Please consider making a donation to the cause, you have no idea how much of a difference it is making!
I am a Dayton native. I left after graduating Fairview High School to attend Haverford College, graduate school at Western Reserve University, and military service in the Air Force in Turkey and Italy. I returned to practice dentistry for 50 years, much of that as a partner with my father, Dr. Jack Saidel. That was always my intention and I have fulfilled it happily.
Now, we have entered the age when down-sizing is becoming a cogent decision. Both of us have dealt with the concept of a smaller residence. We realized that Dayton’s arts are the center of our life’s activities. This made downtown Dayton a major choice for us. Our move downtown puts us at the epicenter of the arts, music, dining and friends.
We also need space for our relatives and children. We regularly fill our big home with their presence for family events. We also host many artists performing here for the opera, Vanguard concerts, etc. We knew a two- or even three-bedroom apartment would be too confining. Many visits to condominium-type dwellings yielded nothing that came close to our needs. We came upon an interesting concept, vertical rather than horizontal, that was advanced by Charles Simms in his design for Monument Walk.
We know the Simms family well. Charlie, as the younger member, and his father Charles are experienced builders and good friends. And we know with Ann Simms looking over their shoulders, everything will be perfect.
Cincinnati native Jon White wasn’t happy stuck behind the wheel of his car. When the 31-year-old landed a job in Dayton, he initially tried to commute from his new job in Dayton back to his home in Cincinnati. But spending hours on the road took its toll on Jon, and he decided to find a new home that offered more freedom and flexibility. “I didn’t feel healthy commuting like that every day. I wanted to live close to work and close to entertainment,” Jon said. The location at Dayton Towers apartment complex 
checked off Jon’s requirements for proximity for 9-to-5 and 5-to-9 activities. “I bike to work just about every day,” he said. “and I still have easy access to the highway if I need to travel somewhere, and it’s a quick trip to access the bike trails for recreation.”
population is more dense, you’ll see more people, and when you walk or bike instead of drive, you have more interactions.” Within his own apartment building, Jon said he has met a wide range of ages and backgrounds of people who choose the convenience and excitement of downtown living. “There are families with kids, senior citizens, University of Dayton and Sinclair College students, young professionals like myself — people from all walks of life live here,” he said. “There’s a real sense of community.”
Mingling with other Dayton Towers residents is how Jon met his group of friends, who enjoy Dayton Towers’ proximity to Oregon District businesses as well as theaters, art galleries, recreational activities, and other amenities within easy walking or leisurely bike riding distance. Of course hanging out on the patio or balconies is a popular choice with the amazing city views. Regardless of how he now spends his additional free time as a downtown resident, Jon said he’s happy with his choice to ditch the commute and dive into the live-work-play environment his downtown address provides. “It’s a lifestyle I prefer to have.”
Tickets are available at this link: 
