Cancer-stricken Sen. John McCain delivered a heartwarming and bittersweet Christmas message on Monday — sending out charming photos of his family's Yuletide celebration and wishing the world happy holidays.
"Merry Christmas & holiday blessings, from our family to yours!" McCain wrote on Twitter.
In one photo, the veteran Arizona lawmaker is seen seated and smiling, surrounded by his wife Cindy, his daughter Meghan and son-in-law Ben Domenech. The senator, casually dressed in jeans and sports coat, wears a brace for a minor tear he suffered to his right Achilles tendon last month.
McCain, a decorated Navy pilot who spent six Christmases as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, is currently undergoing treatment for an aggressive form of brain cancer.
The beloved politician also tweeted word of thanks to Arizona Cardinals star Larry Fitzgerald, who last week wrote a note of thanks to McCain for his years of public service.
In a column for Sports Illustrated, the 6-foot-3, 218-pound wide receiver wrote:
"The sacrifices John McCain has made for our country, and especially the men and women he served with in the military, are incredible ... Today, my friend, Senator John McCain, again finds himself in a battle. This time it's with cancer, and the treatment he's undergoing is exhausting.
"I'll wish him a Merry Christmas today, and I pray he lives another 20 years. I know this: As soon as my boys are of age, I'll tell them stories about the quality of the man I've gotten to know. I'll tell them: Senator John McCain will be revered and respected for as long as the United States of America has a place in this world, and his legacy will outlive us all."