Way back when… Ok, it wasn’t THAT long ago, I was 10 going
on 11, we found out that my 80-year old grandfather had just passed away from cancer. I didn’t fully understand what had happened
other than the fact that my grandfather had passed away. I might want to add in the fact that my
family is spread across the country so we didn’t do a whole lot of
visiting. We had visited him a number
and times and he us. Flash forward some
years, my older son was not yet a year and I found out that my dad’s baby
brother had just passed away, you got from cancer. My dad was working overseas at the time and I
really didn’t have a way to contact him, yes, I had email but “Dear dad, your
baby brother just passed away. Sorry!
Love, your daughter” just didn’t seem very fitting. After YELLING at the AT&T operator I was
finally able to get a hold of my mom, I asked her to let dad know what had
happened, what does she do? She passed the phone to him so I could tell
him!!!! Fast forward a few more years
(last year to be exact)… On my dad’s birthday he was diagnosed with…
cancer. For the past year I have accompanied
my parents to oncology appointments, I have seen my father in and out of the
hospital. I have seen my father become
someone I do not recognize at times. I
have seen my mother (yes, I mean my mother) be the strongest person I have met. Over this past year I have learned the
following three important factors:
1. Cancer really does
suck!
2. Incredible challenges
bring incredible strength
3. No one should EVER
have to go to the oncologists office alone
I have also learned about hospice (my father is not to that
point yet, but he is getting closer than I am willing to admit). When the oncologist started talking about
hospice my mom and I were about to kill him! (Figuratively not literally) Once I calmed down and actually called a
hospice center to get more information.
For starters, yes, hospice is for end stage with that said hospice is
not necessarily in a facility. Individuals
who are “in” hospice stay in their home as long as possible.
This past year I have slowed down and taken time to enjoy
the little things in life with my father.
It should NOT have taken a diagnosis of cancer for me to do this. Please make sure you let your loved ones know
just how much they mean to you because there will be a time when you can no
longer share this information with them.
Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.
–Swami Sivananda
