After hours of riding their four-wheeled vehicles under the vast and gentle sky, the children finally slowed down, breathless but laughing incessantly, their faces smudged with dust but radiant with joy.
The engine noise gradually subsided, giving way to the gentle sound of wind rustling through the trees and the echoing footsteps on the rough ground.
A seemingly ordinary afternoon suddenly became a memory, formed quietly without anyone noticing at the time.
When the children say they want to go hunting, it’s not for the spoils or the skill.
That’s because we get to be together.
It’s because you get to do something normal in a time when nothing is normal anymore.
Jason didn’t hesitate.
He took the children to the rented property not far from their home, a familiar place that had witnessed countless weekends with the family, filled with laughter and quiet conversations.
The sun gradually set, bathing everything in a warm golden light, as if the day itself didn’t want to end.
Charlie sat beside her father, small and peaceful, her presence bringing a sense of security.
Nearby, two boys sat next to each other, whispering, giggling, pretending to be serious like real hunters but unable to hide their excitement.
From a distance, it looked like just an ordinary family moment.
But what was once ordinary has now become sacred.
Because Will was there.
And because in that moment, the cancer was no longer under control.
It was another wonderful weekend, not because it was perfect, but because it was lived to the fullest.
Every laugh has meaning.
Every step counts.
Every painless breath is a silent miracle.
This family has learned to stop rushing through each day.
They slow down, appreciating moments that others might miss.
They understand that happiness doesn’t require grand gestures, just presence.
And Will was present, in a powerful way.
Friends and strangers alike continued to pray for them, and although the prayers were invisible, the family felt them very clearly.
They experience it in moments of unexpected peace.
In a power that appears at the most unexpected moment.
In a situation where fear no longer dominates all thoughts.
They live life to the fullest, not to deny reality, but to challenge it.
Tonight, they’re going out for dinner with friends.
Tomorrow, Will is going on another hunting trip in Mississippi.
Those plans were neither reckless nor naive.
They did it intentionally.
They are affirmations.
As long as there is no pain, cancer will not slow them down.
It doesn’t determine the schedule.
It doesn’t define happiness.
They continued to move forward, step by step, day by day, choosing movement over paralysis.
Choose laughter over fear.
Choose the truth over the noise.
Because the noise was getting louder and louder.
Fake news spreads, distorting the truth to attract views.
These fake accounts posted false information about a family they had never met.
And that misinformation spread faster than the truth.
Therefore, the family chose clarity.
They asserted that any information about Will that did not come directly from his parents was inaccurate.
There is no room for speculation when human lives are at stake.
The truth is what matters most.
And the truth is simple, yet incredibly powerful.
Will is living each day with gratitude for not being in pain.
That gift has never been taken for granted.
Even if only for a second.
One recent morning, they set off for Birmingham to map out the radiotherapy treatment plan, in preparation for the next course of treatment.
The journey began in silence, heavy with thoughts no one wanted to voice.
But that burden is no longer welcomed without resistance.
Will’s upcoming radiation therapy plan includes five treatments, targeting his right femur and shin, as well as his left arm and collarbone.
The medical terminology is cold and sharp.
Words that carry a heavy burden, words no child should have to understand.
But despite everything, it was still a good day.
They laughed.
They teased each other.
They lived the moment to the fullest, especially when teasing Jason.
Jason, who had hired someone else to drive him so he could work along the way, quickly realized it was a mistake.
Because he wasn’t a pleasant passenger.
And because laughter is what sustains this family.
So the driver took advantage of that.
She drove as if she’d just stolen it, raising Jason’s blood pressure and lifting everyone’s spirits.
Laughter filled the car, breaking the tension that had been building up.
Those moments don’t erase reality.
But they calmed it down.
They remind us that joy and pain can go hand in hand.
Being strong doesn’t mean being silent.
That courage sometimes sounds like laughter on the road to treatment.
The family is incredibly grateful for every message, every prayer, every expression of love sent.
That support brought more than just comfort.
It helps them stay grounded.
It reminds them that they are not alone on this path.
Will’s journey is not defined solely by cancer.
But it’s because of the way you live so intensely around it.
Because of the weekends spent outdoors.
Because of the hunting trips and shared meals.
Because of those moments of reclaiming power from fear.
Cancer may have entered this story uninvited.
But it wasn’t allowed to hold a pen.
As long as they can breathe without pain, they will keep moving forward.
As long as there is laughter, they will continue to resist.
As long as there is love, there is hope.
And so, they continued moving forward.
Don’t pretend that everything is okay.
But I chose to live, no matter what.
