Positivity in the New Year
The power of positivity is mighty. While only science, sometimes aided with nutrition and homeopathic methods, can cure, there is something to be said for the glass half full mentality. When the world is in upheaval as it is now or when a cancer diagnosis comes, it can spiral quickly. The current pandemic has given a collective experience to the world that one hopes will cause appreciation for the little things in life.
Those of us who have faced our mortality have learned that lesson well. Cancer survivors have learned the value of life in a way that others cannot always perceive. The pandemic has created a universal sense of life's worth. As we embark on a new year, we can only hope that the pandemic will soon be under control with vaccines and therapeutics. The lessons learned may fade away, but the loss remains. We never forget.
Holding close those I love
Two years ago, I finished my chemotherapy treatment. I was utterly immune-compromised. I had yet to start my radiation. I maintained a quarantined holiday; I embraced the time with family with a grateful heart. Two years later, as part of a vulnerable population of cancer survivors, I feel like I have done this before. I know how to wear a mask and social distance. I remember not being able to hug and kiss my children perchance they were carrying a cold or some seemingly innocuous to them but deadly to me virus.
In the pandemic year, I can hug and kiss my children and hold them close, but I do fear the virus that threatens our entire population. While most people would be only slightly affected, I fear being that exception. I fought so hard to be well; I fear that this virus could come into my home and take me. We are at the finish line, and we have to keep the pace to cross over into the New Year and stay safe.
Fear can be a powerful hindrance
Fear is essential not to allow it to permeate our hope. Enduring chemotherapy and radiation and its aftermath have prepared me for this pandemic in ways I now appreciate. Admittedly, I am an introvert at heart, so it is easier for me to quarantine than some, but we all crave connection. I know how to step away from chaos and commitments and care for myself and hold my family close. I still stumble through too much together time like anyone, but I also relish it.
I charge you to start 2021 with a grateful heart and a positive attitude. If you are in the depths of treatment, newly diagnosed, a long-term survivor, or a caregiver, look for the blessings in each day. A nurse's smile with a gentle touch, a note of encouragement from a friend, a hug from a child, a simple moment of rest, acknowledge each with gratitude. The gift of the sun rising from the darkest night, finding focus through a clear lens can make everything a little brighter. Positivity is paramount in lifting yourself in times of trial.
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