2009 is only a month old but it's already shaping up to be a tough year. The economy is scary enough; but it seems as if every day I hear about someone else battling cancer. All kinds of cancer. Like a cancer chain reaction.
Maybe I hear more stories than the average person because I'm a survivor. And even for me, it's never easy to hear this news. To know what to say. To know what to do. To know that yet another person--and the people who love them--have been thrown into what I call Cancer World.
It's not a place you want to live. Or vist. Or even pass through. It takes a special kind of brave.
Personally I'm very squeamish. I couldn't even watch The Wrestler last night without covering my eyes through the fight scenes. But that's not the kind of strength you really need.
I found out I was stronger and more resilient than I thought. But the truth is, I was---and I am---far less strong than people I talk to every day.
Cancer is capricous and cruel. It's a constant test of character. And a person's true character emerges in a crisis. As ironic as it may sound, sometimes cancer can bring out the best in people.
Right now I'm helpless, watching friends confront this character test. They never fail to inspire me with their courage.
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