At the edge of the world, his journey begins.

Did you know that one of the three volleyballs used as "Wilson" in the film Cast Away was sold in an auction for $18,400? That's a bunch of money. There's a lot of interesting trivia associated with that movie. Sometime you ought to look it up on IMDB.

I love the movie Cast Away and have watched it multiple times, not only for Tom Hanks' phenomenal acting but because it is a powerful story of survival. I think we all possess the same ability - it's just that we are called on to use it in different degrees.

I also love the relationship between Hank's character Chuck Nolan and the volleyball, Wilson. It is a humorous yet poignant portrayal of our need for a companion. We all need someone to keep us grounded.

The one scene that gets to me every time is near the end of the movie when he finally leaves the island on a raft. Whether he finds salvation or not, Chuck knows when he pushes away from the shore that he is at the end of his journey. He has prepared for the long ride to the best of his ability, and as he sets sail he tells Wilson "Don't worry Wilson, I'll do all the paddling. You just hang on." After a storm nearly destroys the raft, Chuck wakes up to see Wilson bobbing in the distance. It's hard to watch Chuck's anguish as his only link to the real world drifts away.

There are a lot of similarities between having cancer and being stranded on an uninhabitable island. You go there alone, you know fear, experience pain, get angry, fight despair, and out of necessity learn survival techniques. People with forms of cancer much worse than mine are the supreme survivors.

But the real story isn't about the island. It's about the raft. Cancer leaves no choice but to build a raft and start the crossing. There is one big difference between me and the movie, though. My link to the real world is the one who stays on the raft. When I let go and start drifting my husband pulls me back and says "Don't worry, I'll do all the paddling. You just hang on."

I am blessed to know that he won't let me float away.