by Leanne Coffman

Created on: February 11, 2009   Last Updated: February 14, 2009

Looking at life, as she frequently did, Natalie was only certain of a very few things in her otherwise tumultuous present- she was still blessed and still desperately, passionately in love with her husband, Mark. Those were two certainties. Much of everything else faded into a murky ubiquitous grey these days. And she was bald on Valentine's Day. That was another stark reality, an unfortunate one. The diagnosis came just after their twenty-fourth anniversary.

Dressing for their daughter, Haley's graduation, Natalie had noticed a small swelling just under her clavicle. It paled in comparison to the rising lump she felt in her throat. Mark, ever her champion, sat beside her days later when the biopsy results came back, clutching her hand. Looking in her terrified deep brown eyes, her Man, her rock, only said, "Baby, we'll do this." "We will get through this little bump in the road, we always have." She knew it was true.

From the beginning when they met at a debate in college, there was something undeniably strong about Mark. It drew her to him. He didn't lose his cool, even when debating controversial topics. Passionate, yet collected, Mark stayed calm with an unshakeable internal force. She admired this quality. That same strength later worked to hold them up through the various rough spots as an interracial couple.

Early in their relationship, there had been a few bouts of racism, not many- but the ones that had transpired had bothered Natalie. The first had been at a party, while they were still at the University. A few well timed hateful slurs, aimed at her African American heritage were tossed around by some jeering Frat Boys. Mark's intense blue eyes blazed for a brief moment, then he simply proudly pulled Natalie close, whispering in her ear, "You hold your head high, baby. It's just a little bump in the road."

Another incident occurred when newly married. Mark and Natalie were almost positive a landlord denied them housing because they were a bi-racial couple. To this and any attempt anyone made to drag them down, Mark would only comment, "It's just a little bump in the road." He refused to be pushed into negativity, and faced the issue with his characteristic inner resolve. Initially, even Natalie's own mother hadn't been too keen on their marriage, or Mark. But his quiet patience and Natalie's own obvious joy won her mother over in a relatively quick amount of time.

Mark's view was that all couples had problematic areas, and the ones they faced were no worse

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