SHARING

I had this shared with me, I hope you enjoy it , as much as I did or know someone it would help. Happy Easter to all. God's love to all. Hugs,Barbara

 

I have cancer...
but cancer does not have me.
Cancer is not who I am.
It is only a bend in the road
that is my life's journey...
an unexpected detour on my path.
It is a lesson in the cosmic schoolroom that is 
human existence.

So I Will
pause to rest...and heal ...
and study the lesson...
before I move on to my life beyond cancer.



I will not
give in to fear, and I will not
be discouraged by setback.
Setbacks are only opportunities
to review the lesson.



I will not be ashamed
of my scars.
My scars are the brushstrokes
in the masterpiece that is my life



I will be thankful for
the many blessings cancer
has brought into my life:
People I never would have known,
love that I had never been still
or quiet enough to witness,
humility I needed,
strength I thought I had lost,
courage I never knew I had.



I will remember
that I can still have fun
and that it's Okay -
~even healthy!~ to be silly.


I will remember that
to find the joy in rainbows...
I must endure the rain.
And I will remember always that...
while I may have cancer...
cancer  does not  have me!
byKathy Cawthon
The Cancer Crusade
used with permission.

I recommend that you click HERE
to view the "The Survivor Movie"
a very encouraging well made movie

Cancer is So Limited!
 
It cannot cripple LOVE!
It cannot shatter HOPE!
It cannot corrode FAITH!
It cannot destroy CONFIDENCE!
It cannot kill FRIENDSHIP!
It cannot shut out MEMORIES!
It cannot silence COURAGE!
It cannot invade the SOUL!
It cannot destroy PEACE!
It cannot quench the SPIRIT!
It cannot lessen the POWER OF THE RESURRECTION!!
 
IT CANNOT STEAL ETERNAL LIFE!!!
 
Our greatest enemy is not disease, but despair.  Keep trusting God's love so your Spirit will remain strong.  If cancer has invaded your life, refuse to let it touch your Spirit!  Your body can be severely afflicted and you might have great struggles, but if you keep trusting in God's love your Spirit will remain strong.
 
"fear not them which kill the body,
but are not able to kill the soul."
Matthew 10:28
 
Victim or Survivor
 
Although the definition said, "a cancer survivor is anyone who has ever been diagnosed with cancer and is alive today."  The first time I read it, I didn't feel like a cancer survivor.  Cancer victim seemed a much more accurate term.  But then the dust settled, treatment began, and I realized the "victim" thing just didn't fit.
 
I tossed the victim/survivor issue around and finally came to the conclusion that a victim and a survivor are the same thin - - almost.  The differences are subtle, but at the same time enormous.  The first thing I realized is that a survivor is a victim with an attitude.  After I understood that, things were a little better.  I had a choice about something - I could be a cancer victim or a cancer survivor.  I liked the idea of having an attitude and I liked the sound of being a survivor.
 
Next, I thought about a friend of mine who had metastasized breast cancer and was the epitome of a cancer survivor.  To Barbie, survivorship was a state of mind.  Despite the moments of sadness and pain, she never lost her ability to laugh about some of the absurdities of cancer and cancer treatment.  She treasured every moment and faced each new situation as best she could.  Eventually, the cancer got her body; however she  never allowed it to reach her Spirit.  I think of her as a survivor in the truest sense of the word.
 
Very slowly, the differences between being a survivor and victim became clear, and I started making a list.  I'm sure every survivor can add one or two more.  This is just a start..
 
Being a victim is a state of body.  Being a survivor is a state of mind.
 
A victim fears hair falling out.  A survivor knows bald is beautiful.
 
A victim  knows about feeling down.  A survivor knows feeling down is okay.
 
A victim dreads the side effects of treatments.  A survivor wonders how to conceal his membership in the Side-Effect-of-the-Month Club.
 
A victim is amazed at all the tears.  A survivor never leaves home without Kleenex.
 
A victim goes to "see" a doctor.  A survivor "consults with his or her physician.
 
A victim gets caught in despair.  A survivor prays a lot.
 
A victim feels helpless.  A survivor says "thanks" with dignity and grace.
 
A victim enjoys a good laugh.  A survivor loves one.
 
From the moment we are diagnosed, we are victims.  We must choose to be survivors.
Paula (Bachleda) Koskay
From Chicken Soup for the Surviving Soul
 
 

 
~  Father, make me sensitive to the pain in other people's hearts and help me do whatever I can to ease their pain.   ...Amen ~