I Will Never Forget This Moment

It was one of those days etched into my memory forever. Dylan was back in the hospital after another relapse. He loved his food—heck, he loved food in general—but he had a special place in his heart for Chinese food. Despite everything he was enduring, he still had an appetite. After a meal, he texted me something I will never forget.

He wanted to share his fortune cookie. The small strip of paper read, "LOOK FOR THE DREAM THAT KEEPS COMING BACK. IT IS YOUR DESTINY."

My heart sank. It was mid-October, and we had been through so much by then. The relentless fight against leukemia felt like an eternity. While I had started losing my optimism, seeing this message from Dylan ignited a whirlwind of emotions. I was terrified. Was he having dreams of dying? We hadn’t fully discussed it. There were times when he was doing well, and we didn’t want to drag the mood down. And on his bad days, all we wanted was for him to rest and escape from thinking about the harsh reality.

So I cautiously replied, “What do you dream about?”

Those seconds waiting for his response felt like hours. My heart raced. Finally, his reply came through.

“Remission.”

I couldn’t even begin to explain the surge of emotions I felt in that moment. Here was my son, who had been knocked down time and again, yet still fighting with all the hope in the world. After everything—after every hurdle, setback, and painful moment—his dream was still remission. How does someone hold onto so much optimism when life keeps throwing them the worst of cards? His strength blew me away.

But at the same time, I was scared. Scared of what might come next, of the inevitable that lingered in the back of my mind. Two weeks later, we were back home. There was nothing more the doctors could do.

Yet just two weeks before that, Dylan was still dreaming of remission, of life beyond the illness. He was imagining a future where he would finally be free from the disease. Even now, I wonder—was he truly holding onto that hope for himself? Or was he staying strong for all of us, knowing deep down what his outcome might be?

These memories will never fade. They are all we have left of what was once a full and vibrant life. I will forever hold onto these moments because they remind me of who Dylan was—a fighter, a dreamer, and someone who never let go of hope, even when the odds were against him.

What are some of the memories you hold onto?