Mesothelioma

until she won't.It is no surprise that every one of us has an opinion on the Edwardses' choices.

Not just Rush Limbaugh, who accused the Edwardses of turning their eyes to the campaign instead of God.

Not just "Toddo11," who blogged, "How is he supposed to take care of his country when he doesn't even take care of his family?

" Not just the 12,000 who e-mailed Elizabeth encouraging words in the first days after their announcement.We each have an opinion on whether continuing a campaign shows courage or denial.

On whether quitting would show acceptance or defeat.

We have an opinion on whether children need wings or a cocoon.

Our views about facing cancer are as varied - and conflicted - as the eulogies of its victims: She fought every inch of the way.

She accepted it with grace.The truth is that the Edwardses made their decision the way we all do.

We make choices based on who we are and what we believe and what is important to us.

It is not simply a mathematical equation, it is a narrative.

It's not just a matter of medical calculation, it contains the arc of memoir.Elizabeth's decision is at one with her character, steeled through the death of her son, the birth of two more children, the refusal to be a victim, and the fierce determination to write her legacy.

Her husband's decision says less about unbridled ambition than about a sense of mission.

This...