"Surprise!" What images and emotions just came to mind? The joyful excitement of celebrations? An unexpected visit from a loved one? Or the distress of an unexpected phone call bringing upsetting news?
Serious illness can lead some people to dislike surprises of any sort. That's a shame. And it's not healthy. The older you get (a good thing) and the more people you have in your life (also a good thing), the greater your chance of hearing unwanted news about yourself or a loved one. For Healthy Survivors to live as fully as possible, they find and develop ways to...
- calm anxiety about the possibility of future problems
- accept and adjust to problems that arise
One certainty in life is this: Life is uncertain. Expect the unexpected. Build confidence in your ability to handle the unexpected. Develop "in case of" backup plans for essentials. And keep in mind the final line from my poem, View from Remission:
The intimate knowledge of what might have been lost (and might yet be)
makes me feel today—every day—in a wonderfully intense way.
Little problems remain trivial. The ordinary has become marvelous.
I seek out and cherish joyful moments.
Even unpleasant times are less painful, for they are proof that I am still here.
We welcome YOUR comments!
SEE READERS' COMMENTS UNDER COMMENT BOX (below)
For email notifications of new posts, subscribe here
For archives of older posts, click here.