Cancer breaks the best out of us. Cancer is expensive and the worst part that a cancer patient has to face, is finances. Over the years, the government tries to alleviate a cancer patient’s case by providing assistance through better health care services but only to an extent. Local health care services can only provide as much but there are cases that expenses are so great that leaves patient dreary. While the body is exhausted from exposure of toxins, the chemo therapy it needs to overcome cancer, and the mind is horrified with the increasing hospital bills, many of which are not covered by our local health care services and insurances. Unfortunately, there are many that suffered in silence and died without getting helped. People die because they cannot afford the treatment or after treatment.
Looking back thru the years where I witnessed my aunts suffering and died with Breast Cancer, Cancer is not a life sentence but an opportunity for a renewed faith. Faith in what? Faith in life in general. With it, comes changes. Changes in everything. From mind set to priorities, daily routine and schedules, outlook in life changes overtime, especially us moms. Our hearts bleed for our children we leave behind, who are the main reason why we fight and go on even if we know our future is doomed. Ever clinging to the slightest hope that we will be ok, but in the end, we’re just buying time. Eager to see our children grow.
Cancer runs in my family, -mainstream. Two aunts, my mother’s siblings had breast cancer while mama still developed breast cancer despite having children and breastfeeding. So, having children and breastfeeding doesn’t really guarantee safety from abnormal growth. While we lost our aunts to their battle with cancer, my mom and a friend survived. I too am expecting, so little by little preparing my boys should my Lord decided to take me away from them, not necessarily from cancer. Ah! And I’m gladly take it without resentments. Of course, I already have time with my boys and now trying to really prepare them. I am so happy to learn that my boys are truly trying not to make me cry due to stubbornness and arrogance, especially the young one. Should cancer cross my path, well, the battle is on and I don’t need to worry about it. Lolz, my Lord has other plans for me, I reckon.
Witnessing the horrors of cancer, how it wrecks lives of believers. Shake their faith like non other, making it the greatest scare of their lives. Holding their hand in the middle of the battle and just hold it like you’ll never let go, gives amazing strength for those who believed. Surprisingly provides them the will to take on the battle bravely. Recollecting my Aunt Rebecca’s battle, I admired her humility and submission, amidst the loss of hope and her fragility. Oh! There goes the strength of character, submission to the loss worth fighting for and believed that God has greater purpose for such pain and suffering. Forgiveness is easy for the wrong done as acceptance became the attitude of a believer. And there comes peace and tranquility as we lay her down to her last sleep, leaving her son behind with some inheritance and leaving my mom some too, -which we were really grateful for it had helped us greatly.
While it is true we all face life differently and fought our battles as fiercely as we can, we can never take away the pain, especially to the ones that is left behind. Holding on to the glimpse of hope and shared moments together, it is them who are greatly affected. I don't ever think that giving my time was a waste but rather an act of kindness, for time is precious and priceless. Which is why I would like to process life as they say, the little battles we won and loss, for my little ones. Embracing life as a cycle and a series of life and death, that anytime we will loss the very one we hold dear to our hearts. To spend moments happy and sad and help them move on instead of lingering. That is what I hoped for my kids. Leaving me a lingering after thought that life is really short, make a choice and take care of it. Act upon that choice and let God do the rest.
Thank you for reading, ‘til next article. God bless.
