Read Everybody's Got Something for Free Online

I took in the brilliance of the early springtime sun setting over the Hudson. Our house DJ, the one and only DJ Kiss, was spinning the best dance tunes. Everyone was so incredibly happy. We finally did it. We finally broke the streak and beat the Today show after 852 weeks. Sam and I did the limbo…how low can you go?!
    I almost told Ben Sherwood, the president of ABC News, on that rooftop what I had learned just hours ago. I almost took him aside and said, “I have MDS. If I don’t find a match, I have less than two years to live.” But seeing his smiling face, listening to the booming beats of one of the best dance parties I have ever been to, I couldn’t do it. How could I? I was looking at him, beaming, proud—and rightly so—of all we were able to accomplish under his leadership. I couldn’t dampen all that joy with my dire news.
    I looked around at the team. We have such a hardworking and young staff, especially the overnight shift. They are the ones who in the wee hours are putting the final touches on the show while we sleep. Many of them had to leave the party early to get back to work, but not before we took picture after picture on that magical rooftop.
    Before I left the party, I stole a few moments for myself. I walked over to the quieter end of the rooftop and just took in each and every person, the warmth and hope on all of their jubilant faces. This was a moment that they had dreamed of, too. It wasn’t how I had imagined it would be, secretly sitting with my heartbreaking news, but I prayed it was for every one of them. Thank God I could say that I had truly enjoyed the journey, because if I had saved all of my joy for the destination, I would have missed it. We are all so focused on getting “there,” but you have to be careful. Sometimes, I sense a lot of times, “there” ends up feeling different than you expected.
    It was difficult not to let my mind wander. If I found myself on that rooftop becoming depressed, I realized that I was living in the past. If I started to become anxious, I knew it was because I was living in the future. I was truly only at peace living in the present.
    It was then that I looked to the heavens and thanked the good Lord that he had allowed me to live long enough to see this special moment. I then quietly left the party early, silently chanting to myself like a little schoolkid:
    We’re number 1, yay!
    We’re number 1, okay?
    What did you say? Hey!
    We’re number 1, yay!

Chapter 6
Letting People In
    I couldn’t sleep that night wondering how I was going to tell my friends and family about my diagnosis. I was so worried that no matter what they said, they would be thinking, “Here she goes again…” I didn’t want pity. I most definitely didn’t want to be a burden. What I wanted to say was, “I wish I could tell you this, deliver the news, and at the very same time take away all the worry. I’m still me. I just have a terrible diagnosis, and I wanted to let you know because you’re important to me and I wanted to share it with you.”
    One of my persistent thoughts was “Here I am, putting them through this again.” Do you know the “what now?” friend? The phone rings, you look at the number and you think, “Oh boy. What now?” I never envisioned myself being that friend . My friends never ever made me feel that way. But that was one of my biggest fears, both when I was diagnosed with breast cancer and then again with MDS. I didn’t want to be the burdensome friend. I wanted to be the fun one. I always pride myself on being the life of the party; good for some laughs. Pollyanna Roberts. I’ve always been an optimistic person. Being optimistic is like a muscle that gets stronger with use. Makes it easier when the tough times arrive. You have to change the way you think in order to change the way you feel.
    I called my siblings, Butch, Sally-Ann and Dorothy, and although they were devastated to hear that I was sick again, they really heard me when