OPINION:
I had the privilege of spending Father’s Day weekend with my children and grandchildren. We played with the dogs, barbecued, caught up and laughed. Times like these are the ones you look forward to your whole life.
For the last nine years, Father’s Day has come with a particular reminder that this precious time is a blessing that isn’t promised to anyone.
Nine years ago this month, it was the Friday of Father’s Day weekend. I had recently been elected governor, and I heard my doctor say 13 words that changed my life.
“Governor, I’m afraid we have some very difficult news to share with you.” With those 13 words, I was diagnosed with an advanced and aggressive cancer that had already spread rapidly throughout my body.
Returning to the governor’s mansion, I could think only about how I would tell my family. And then, even if I got through that, what would I tell my staff, who had given up their lives to help me? And what would I tell the 6 million Marylanders who had just elected me?
I never thought I’d have to ask these questions — no one does — but the answers they yielded were even more surprising.
When I shared my news, everything became easier amid the many tears that followed. The people around me became my support system, and the people of Maryland became my prayer circle — sending cards and letters, making bracelets and wearing shirts that said “Hogan Strong.”
All of this gave me something more important than any title or recognition; it gave me perspective on what truly matters in life.
That is the first lesson: No matter where life takes you, unexpected blessings and challenges will be put in your path. Lean on your family, your mentors, your friends, your team and your community. I can tell you that the most important things in your life aren’t actually things — they’re people.
After I announced my diagnosis the following week, my doctors wanted me to begin treatment as soon as possible. But there were no plans for what to do when a governor has an aggressive cancer. So again, with the help of my team, we did what had to be done: I governed the state from a hospital bed in Baltimore while enduring months of 24-hour-a-day chemotherapy.
I held meetings and made important decisions in the hospital between laps, walking around the hall, dragging my chemo pole along with me, and talking to the medical staff, my fellow patients and their families.
The second lesson is that there will be times in your life when things hit you out of the blue. So you should not just expect the unexpected but accept it and embrace the challenges in life.
Don’t get thrown off course when obstacles appear. Take the initiative, set the course yourself and never give up. Trust your instincts and believe in your ability to bounce back.
By Thanksgiving of that year, I was able to report to the state that incredibly, I was cancer-free and in complete remission. Nine years later, I’m grateful to say I still am.
I returned to the Statehouse with less hair — well, really no hair after that. I served out my first term as governor and became only the second Republican to be reelected governor in Maryland’s 240-year history — proof that anything is possible.
But more importantly, on the day I found out I was cancer-free, I pledged that as long as I was governor and long after that, I would stand with all those patients and families I met along the way and do everything I could to help raise awareness, support the research, and build the labs and hospitals that will one day lead to a cure for this terrible disease.
I’m proud to be fighting that fight alongside my fellow survivors. In my last year in office, we launched a new initiative to boldly expand the state’s commitment to fighting cancer, including funding the first cancer care center in Prince George’s County.
So this is the final lesson: In your life, you will learn how truly important and meaningful it is to give back, to serve, to pay it forward, and to help others. To be a part of the solution, not the problem.
I encourage you to find some cause greater than yourself that inspires you and then fight like hell to do something about it — I still am every single day. What makes America the greatest nation on Earth and a shining city on a hill is that we can always be part of making it better.
• Larry Hogan served as the 62nd governor of Maryland from 2015 to 2023 and is running for the U.S. Senate.
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