Roger Ebert Battling Cancer Again

Roger Ebert is battling cancer yet again. The 70-year-old longtime film critic now has cancer in his hip.

In a message on his website, he said, "The 'painful fracture' that made it difficult for me to walk has recently been revealed to be a cancer. It is being treated with radiation, which has made it impossible for me to attend as many movies as I used to."

This guy is one tough cookie. Despite cancers that have taken both his jaw and his voice over the past decade, Ebert still managed to review 300 movies last year including writing blogs and other articles.

He says he's taking a "leave of presence." What does that mean? "I am not going away.  My intent is to continue to write selected reviews but to leave the rest to a talented team of writers handpicked and greatly admired by me," says Ebert.

He went on to add, "I may write about what it's like to cope with health challenges and the limitations they can force upon you.  It really stinks that the cancer has returned and that I have spent too many days in the hospital."

"So on bad days I may write about the vulnerability that accompanies illness.  On good days, I may wax ecstatic about a movie so good it transports me beyond illness."

When you see someone with resilience like this, it kind of makes all of life's little things seem not so big after all, doesn't it?