American Lawyer Susan Lindley has lived with her colon cancer since 1998 when it was first discovered. She heads an organization called YES whose mission is to help with legal advice for people living with growths in their liver and she publicized this column to share the points of goodness she found in her battle with this ailment.
These days and in light of the Hadassah oncology crisis it seems that this is the best time to publicize her words of empowerment which teach us that inspite the difficulties and the hope to win that big victory (coming out clean of cancer) there are a lot of small victories along the way that you can win and they should not be overlooked.
“Chloe and I walked through a field and we found our way to an old barbed wire fence. All along the fence were blueberry bushes full of berries for which we waited many days for them to ripen. We first saw the little buds, then the baby green fruit and then we saw them turn dark red and we knew they were ready for us to eat.”
“I looked at my Chloe shouting happily ready to fill up her small basket with the berries she loved. The sun was shining and I enjoyed my daughter’s simple happiness on a pleasant spring day. Suddenly, I realized how lucky I was that I’m alive and specifically at those times I felt really alive though sick cells are wreaking havoc inside my colon and could knock me down any given moment.”
“This morning I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I would enjoy a day that was one big miracle. When we went back to the car Chloe devoured all her berries and let out a great liberating laugh, it was at that moment I understood that these little moments are what make life so awesome! We got in the car and I turned the radio on out of habit. The music in the background exactly mirrored how I felt at the time: “Miracles happen, miracles happen. You showed me this without saying anything. My faith is not blind and I don’t need wings to fly, miracles happen, miracles happen.”
Miracles really happen, because at the time I write this I’m waiting for results of a new scan in a generation that’s all miracles. Take for example the miracle of imaging that is possible thanks to modern technology of the past 20 years. If I sat all day long describing all the miracles I see in my organization YES I wouldn’t finish.”
“I’ll never meet all the people who stand behind all the tests that I had to undergo these past 17 years since my first test. I could never thank all of them for their ability to read the results help make important choices, encourage me and be there for those who need them, the cancer patients. Their great knowledge on one hand and their great assistance on the other hand bring hope to cancer patients daily and for this I am grateful.”
“From the perspective of a cancer patient in a generation of one of the most serious ailments anyone can face, I tell you that miracles happen every day. One miracle happened when I saw with my own eyes a 12 year old named Brian McCloud that was totally cured of colon cancer. These miracles surround us and I identified my miracle in the field with the blueberries happy with my girl with the compassion all my nurses and doctors have for me with love of my family and friends. If you are reading this you are part of my miracle. Miracles happen every day all around us, did you find your miracle today?”
(Dedicated to the healing of all of Israel and especially the children patients of Hadassah)