Kirik

There is so much to admire about Curtze in her battle against breast cancer. Not only has the 64-year-old Edinboro resident fought the disease with grace and determination but she also has stayed busier than 95 percent of healthy people throughout her journey.

Whether she has been cycling, teaching, paddleboarding or leading Pilates and yoga classes, Curtze has been tireless.

"It's just amazing that she can be (battling breast cancer) and doing everything else that she does," Curtze's friend, Kathy Schreckengost, told reporter Victor Fernandes.

Curtze's story brings to mind McDowell High School graduate James Conner, who recently made a well-documented comeback to the football field for the University of Pittsburgh after his own battle with cancer.

Conner wore a surgical mask as he participated in spring workouts with his Pitt teammates while he was undergoing chemotherapy treatments for Hodgkin lymphoma.

Curtze and Conner are examples of two things I greatly admire: high-energy people and the ability to stare down adversity.

I've always been impressed by - and, admittedly, slightly jealous of - high-energy people.

A close friend of our family, Nancy Orsini, is an outstanding photographer with a relentless work ethic. She's also a cancer survivor who recently competed in her first bodybuilding contest at age 74.

My wife and I often talk about how we wish we had Nancy's energy level. With her schedule, I'm not sure when she finds time to sleep. People like Nancy seize the day ... every day.

The motto I've been most moved by in my life came from an unlikely source.

I was eating takeout from a Chinese restaurant when I was a teenager during one of the lowest times of my life. I cracked open a fortune cookie, and it read, "Meeting adversity well is the source of your strength."

I know it was just a mass-produced fortune cookie, but I considered it a sign. Since that day, I've tried to abide by the spirit of that saying.

Any time my family and I have faced difficult times - and we've had our share - I've thought of that saying and used it as both motivation and a personal challenge.

Michelee Curtze, James

See Kirik, B2

Conner and Nancy Orsini show me that other people, whether they know it or not, personify that motto daily. I'm sure there are many others battling cancer who do the same.

I'm grateful to

all of them for their inspiration.

Erie Times-News staff writers share personal stories. Jeff Kirik can be reached at 870-1679. Send email to jeff.kirik@timesnews.com.

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