I am so thankful to be at the oncology clinic for the last of my mom's chemotherapy treatments today. Although this is not the end of the road, God willing, the worst is over. Thank you to everyone for your support along the way and my prayers and compassion to all whose lives have been touched by this devastating disease.
The familiar faces of other cancer patients who are on the same treatment cycle as my mom fill the waiting room. The impact of much-needed summer vacations for two nurses this week are magnified when you see cancer patients at their varying stages of diagnosis and treatment wait impatiently for the day to be over. We see a lovely older lady who I have come to consider like a grandmother who has also come to the end of her treatment and is experiencing severe pain in her knees, making it difficult for her to stand unassisted. I lean down to kiss her on the cheek and talk with her for 10-15 mins, realizing what a relief it is for those enduring what she is to have someone to talk to. She openly shares her a time that she fell in the bathroom with the door locked and her husband, unable to hear her voice through the closed door came down to look for her after noticing how long she had been away. I feel privileged that she shares her most difficult moments with me and realize how much of a relief it must be to have someone to speak to other than those you see on a daily basis. Especially someone who can empathize with your journey.
I realized the difference a similar conversation would make for my mom as well, and resolved to be more attentive, acknowledging how impatient I must be at times when I`m working through my mental to-do list. I am often in the same physical space with my mom, yet my mind is 95% elsewhere.
The difference it makes to ask how someone is doing and really taking the moment to sincerely and attentively listen to the answer is such a small yet profound way to make each day a better day.
I invite you to make the effort to ask one person in your life about how they are, especially someone who is going through a difficult time, and really listen to their answer and make them feel heard.
With peace and blessings,
Shaneeza
