Cancer at age 21 should be illegal!

Or any age, really.

Today my thoughts and prayers are with my childhood friend Alli, who I was able to see when I was home about two weeks ago.
She had been biopsied by doctors, and the other week she texted me to confirm that she, indeed, has Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

She begins chemotherapy tomorrow.

All this to a vibrant NYU swimmer and recent grad.

Last summer over breakfast at Pastis in New York, I remember her briefly letting on to some shoulder pain, which more alarmed me and I told her to get checked out. She cheerfully brushed it off, assuring me it was probably due to stress and that fact that she never had time to sleep.

The other week when doctors told her she had to stop doing physical activity, she had plans to do a local half-marathon.

We first became friends in kindergarten, me blonde and her brunette (both of us the latter now), towering over everyone on the playground despite the fact we both have late birthdays and started school at age 4. She made it to 5'10".
We also had the same name (I went by 'Ali' until college).

But most significantly, we embodied what it meant to be Water Babies, soaking up the beach, ocean and our pools nearly every day of our childhood.

Here's us, after shoving shaving cream pies in our faces a la Nickelodeon.

She's so strong and healthy, I have an immense hope she'll pull through this.

I have a really hard time wrapping my head around the concept of someone my age facing this.
It's utterly mind boggling that someone as youthful and luminous as she must go through something as daunting as chemotherapy.

Cancer continues to confound me. All of my grandparents (3 late, 1 surviving) have had some form. Both of my own parents have had scares. But someone my own age...this is new for me.

Here's her and her boyfriend. I met him. He's more darling than even this picture would suggest. He had me at "all tennis players are crazy."
I highly approve.

(haha, Al, if you're reading this, don't mind I stole it from your "First and Last time at the Tropicana" post)

Alli, you're such an incredible person and will get through this with strength, courage and your great faith.

With much love,
Your Al twin