“Surgery sucks. Cancer sucks. Radiation sucks,” said Clark Pierson, controller at Charmac Trailers. “But this experience has allowed me to see life with a new vibrant eye – and that doesn’t suck.”
A few months ago Pierson went in for surgery for a tumor behind his ear. He wasn’t expecting to be told afterward that the tumor and his surrounding lymph nodes had a very rare form of cancer.
Pierson was in shock at first, thinking to himself, “I am 30 years old and I have cancer. What the?!” However, as he digested the news over the next few days, he told himself that he was going to be positive and work hard and get through it.
He said he liked challenges, but this one seemed a little different than normal. It was a tough mental battle. “There are a lot of days when I feel crappy and just want to be depressed, but I start looking at how blessed I am and how my trials are trivial compared to others,” said Pierson. He also mentioned an old story that he finds solace in.
“A man gathered his troubles and trials into a box and took them to the city center to put them on display for trading as others had done. At the end of the day, after looking at everyone else’s troubles and trials, the man packed up his own box realizing how lucky he was after seeing the troubles and trials of others.”
Pierson said there are days when he asks why him. And he pointed out that when he is negative, it spreads and makes things tough.
But he has a strong support system to help him when he gets down.
“I am way lucky to have a super positive wife and awesome kids,” said Pierson. Their joy and love is contagious and is probably my biggest strength. Awesome family and friends are huge in staying positive.”
He knows that people are praying for him and he said that he can feel it. It amazes him that people are willing to pray for him and his family. He said the overwhelming and humbling feeling he gets from knowing that people care enough to do that for him help him to stay positive.
“I don’t take much for granted anymore,” said Pierson. “Life is pretty miraculous when you cut through the clutter and look at how blessed you are. It’s easy to stay positive when you look at it like that.”
Our staff at Harris Publishing was impressed at the strength Pierson has and continues to show through his battle. We sent him a SnoWest (our sister magazine) shirt, a hat and some candy to help him in maintaining his positive attitude and to show that we are standing with him through this trial.
