I arrived in New York City yesterday afternoon for a meeting of the UN Council on Gender-Based Health at the United Nations. As luck would have it, my hotel was next to the Eugene O'Neill theater and one block from TKTS, the ticket discounter for Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. I walked the one block and discovered that the play '33 Variations' starring Jane Fonda was available for half price and, conveniently, it was at the O'Neill theater. What a great coincidence!

The show was listed as a musical, which I was delighted to see. I've been working non-stop -- taking care of ill family members, writing a book and articles, and renovating a kitchen with a contractor who forgets to show up -- so I was more than ready for a relaxing time-out. I didn't know what the show was about, but knew it got great reviews, so I bought a ticket. Fifteen minutes later I was in my first-row, center seat. Amazing how everything worked out.

When Ms. Fonda entered the stage, the theater erupted with applause. I couldn't believe how close I was to the actors. I could see every little detail of Ms. Fonda's expressions, including her delicate hands and the color of her nail polish (things only a woman would really notice and appreciate). For the first 10 minutes, I was in bliss.

Then the story evolved. As it turned out, '33 Variations' is a show about a music professor who has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It explores the protagonist's desire to complete her last book on Beethoven, as well as her reluctance to navigate the turbulent waters of her relationship with her daughter. What exquisite irony that, of all the shows on Broadway, this was the one I was attending...and not only that, but situated smack dab in the front row with the lights shining on my face.

You see, this was a story that resonated all to well with my own life. I've written about my mother's journey -- our journey -- through the world of pancreatic cancer. It has been almost one year to the day that she was diagnosed. Her brave fight, grace, humor, and travails have been a major part of my and my family's life. It was unbelievable to see a similar story play out in front of me.

During the intermission I called my mom to tell her I was at the show. She's still in a nursing/rehab facility from her last hospitalization from a month ago. She told me that the results of her most recent tests, which unfortunately revealed that her tumor was now pressing on her stomach and she would need another stent. It took everything in me to go back to my seat after that news.

Of course, the second half was filled with poignant details of the character's demise and eventual paralysis, as well as an evolution in her relationship with her daughter. I could hear all around me sniffles of quiet crying. It was like watching my life play out on the stage. Jane Fonda and her co-stars did a brilliant job. I could not stop my own tears from gently falling down my cheeks and tried to gracefully wipe them away. It was an odd experience. At times I felt that I was on stage, since I was so close...yet I was so alone. The saving grace is that there were wonderfully healing lessons expressed in the screenplay.

I do think that the universe does give us gifts when we most need them. This was one that I definitely did not expect. I know that it will take some time to appreciate it, but it will be valued.