Battle or War?

I have lost affection for the word “battle” when describing what a person does when confronted with cancer. Calling it a battle really seems to understate it. I find myself liking the word war right now. Battle sounds so tactical, so “one and done.”

Imagine Ray Lewis only studying game films for one season, or Cal Ripken going to the batting cages only for one season, or a 19 year old Wayne Gretzky ever saying, “that’s good enough.” Absurd. I simply cannot imagine that the Northwestern Women’s Lacrosse Team would have won one--let alone two--national championships unless they had the same kind of commitment. Something tells me that Kristen Kjellman, Aly Josephs and every one of those women has her stick in her hands every single day. That’s not a battle; that’s a war.

War connotes countless battles. Only through a continued, relentless, and dedicated effort can war be won.