By Khevin Barnes
A cancer diagnosis is an expedition in extremes. It shatters every thought and plan we have about our future, and leaves us with many more questions than answers. It is at once a mind-gripping nightmare into a world of the unknown and an auspicious gift, provoking us to gather our lives, confront our vulnerabilities and discover our strengths.
I say “thank you” to my cancer every day.
Oddly, this is the most significant and enlightening adventure of my life, and at the same time, it offers the greatest challenges I’ve ever encountered.
How we see the gift of a life-threatening illness is, in my opinion, how we come to know the depth of our blessings for being human and how we adopt a deep and resilient reverence for this thing called “a life”.
Cancer knows no boundaries and delivers few promises.
We wield small swords with which to defy it, yet march steadfastly time and time again to challenge its advance. And in the moments that lie between terror and trust, there is a wisdom that far outshines the stuff we don’t know.
And it’s found in the words of those whose lives have paused for a moment to see something that many cannot.
These are the voices of those with cancer in their bodies who shout out, demanding to be heard, and the voices whose gentleness should never be mistaken for surrender. These are the words of those who have this cancer disease, but oppose the limiting thoughts that would have us believe that life with cancer is anything less than revolutionary.
And these voices are everywhere and all around us. You’ll find them in the Blogs and stories from the survivors who reach out to share their fear and fortitude, their hope and frustration and their willingness to be of service with all who march in this cancer connection.
This then is the infantry and the cavalry who gallantly guide us to wholeness and recovery—all of which we richly deserve.
These are the warriors of health and healing.
These are our words--all of us who know cancer.
These are the voices of hope.
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