Today’s track: The Mountain Goats - This Year

“I will not make poems with reference to parts; But I will make leaves, poems, poemets, songs, says, thoughts, with reference to ensemble; And I will not sing with reference to a day, but with reference to all days.” — Walt Whitman

When they told me I had a Stage 3C colon cancer tumor — the size of a softball — I had to wait three weeks before they could cut it out.

Three weeks is a long time to sit with something like that. And I'll be honest — my brain kept reaching forward. Let's get this done. Let's keep things moving. Let's get to the other side of this.

Now I'm looking at six months of chemotherapy. I kept doing the math: end of this year, into next year, and I'll be done. I can start fresh. New year, clean slate. Which — I know — I'm fortunate. Not everyone gets a problem they can resolve on a timeline like that.

But here's the thing I've been catching myself on: I can't wish away these next six months either.

Because in between all of it — the waiting, the treatment, whatever's coming — I've had some of the best time with my sister. With my dad. With friends who showed up in ways I didn't expect. People being genuinely been kind and generous in a way that makes you stop and go, okay, this matters.

I used to get quietly sad about my dogs aging. A smart friend called me on it — said if you're grieving something that hasn't happened yet, you're not actually here. You're living in the future, when they're gone. Or you're back in the past, thinking about dogs you already lost. Either way, you're missing the one that's right in front of you.

I don't do that anymore. Now I'm thinking about how lively they are. How alive this whole morning is — me with my coffee, the birds outside, the dogs just being dogs. It's not some big revelation. It's just paying attention to what's actually in front of me.

And it doesn't stop with the dogs. Your kids getting older. Your parents aging. All of it. You can spend that time dreading what's coming — or you can be in it, present.

I'll quote John Mayer. We don't want to stop this train.

Not the bad parts. Not the slow parts. Not the uncomfortable, uncertain, in-between parts. All of it is moving somewhere. We should just plan to be there for it while it is all happening.

Bonus Track:

Enthusiastically,

Rob Bergeron
Owner–Realtor at Award-Winning Winner Realty
Winner Realty | OffMarket.deals | Property Partner Data Company | HireMySub.com

The Morning Bergeron daily track playlist: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/the-morning-bergeron/pl.u-pMyl2GlSW1N3qv

PS: Housing starts dropped 15.4% last month. Builders are pulling back hard — multifamily down 40%. Less new supply is coming. If you've been waiting to make a move on a deal, this is the kind of number that quietly tightens the market while nobody's paying attention. Got a deal you're sitting on? Let’s move it!