Additional Coverage:
- Weeks after my husband retired, he was diagnosed with stage 3 kidney cancer. It was a reminder of why you shouldn’t wait to live fully. (businessinsider.com)
Local Couple’s “Golden Season” Takes Unexpected Turn, Highlighting Life’s Fragility
What was anticipated to be a “golden season” of retirement quickly transformed into a challenging journey for a local couple, Christina Daves and her husband. Just weeks after his retirement, a sudden stage 3 kidney cancer diagnosis served as a stark reminder of life’s unpredictable nature, prompting them to reaffirm their long-held philosophy of living fully in the present.
Christina Daves recounts that her husband officially retired at the end of March, marking what they believed would be a slower, sweeter chapter. However, this hopeful outlook quickly shifted.
Weeks later, during a hospital visit for a suspected appendicitis, a scan unexpectedly revealed a massive tumor on his left kidney, leading to a diagnosis of stage 3 cancer. “One day, we were planning trips, and the next, we were sitting across from doctors, navigating medical terminology, surgery, and treatment plans,” Daves shared.
The diagnosis was particularly jarring for the couple, who had proactively built their life around adventure and making memories, deliberately avoiding the trap of waiting for “someday.” Daves explained that the loss of her own father before his retirement had deeply influenced their approach, leading them to turn family activities into cherished traditions and experiences. Their retirement was intended as an extension of this intentional living.
Now, the couple faces a daily “roller coaster” of uncertainty, oscillating between optimism and fear as they navigate scan results and treatment. Daves describes the experience as living in a constant back-and-forth, where “the ground never feels steady.” Despite this, the diagnosis has reinforced their commitment to living in the present, not through grand gestures, but by embracing everyday moments.
“Since my husband’s diagnosis, we’ve doubled down on living in the present, not in the sense of chasing bucket-list extravagance, but in truly seizing the everyday moments,” Daves stated. Simple pleasures like morning walks, dinners out, laughter with friends, and calls with their children have taken on a sacred significance. They continue to dream and plan but prioritize immediate action, doing what they can now and planning for what they cannot.
The Daves’ journey serves as a poignant reminder that even for those who live intentionally, time remains fragile and unpredictable. Christina Daves hopes their story conveys a vital lesson: “Even if you’re already living fully, don’t assume you’ll always have ‘more time’ to do the things you dream about.
Retirement isn’t a guarantee. Neither is next year.
Neither is tomorrow.” She urges others to live now, deepen traditions, make memories, and hold loved ones close, emphasizing that life can change instantly, and what matters most is how one chooses to use the time given.