Life is like a book, writes this cancer survivor. And people shouldn’t be afraid to turn the page to see what’s on the other side, she says.
I think all of us have been reflecting a lot more since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, at least I know I have. We are uncertain about the future of the entire world. Can we get enough people vaccinated? Where is it safe to go? Will another surge of infections occur because of opening more places, not requiring masks and the variants that have been occurring?
Will travel and flying ever feel safe again?
Add to this uncertainty what each of us cancer survivors are going through. We ask ourselves if our cancer can be cured. We always wonder if it will come back. We fear it may metastasize. If it is incurable, will there be a new chemo or treatment? Each one of us has a fear about our individual type of cancer, and what our future holds.
And of course, we all have personal issues we are facing. Many families have been financially devastated, first from medical bills and now from the pandemic. I have lost several friends this past year from cancer and other diseases and miss them. One of my dear friends is now in hospice, and I pray for her not to have any more pain. We are all facing mortality and losing people we love brings it home for each of us.
Then I read this quote: “Life is like a book. Some chapters are sad, some are happy, and some are exciting, but if you never turn the page, you will never know what the next chapter has in store for you.”
I am allowing myself to be frozen and afraid of turning the page. I am a huge mystery fan and can relate to this quote. When I am reading my favorite mystery authors, I always turn the page eagerly to see “who done it,” as they say. But I need to do this in my personal life also. Whether I am afraid, uncertain, hopeful, despondent, or depressed does not matter.
I need to just turn the page because this is what life is all about. Think about what we miss if we do not do this, which is far worse. And no matter our religion, we all cling to the knowledge that eventually we turn the last glorious page into the next life without pain. Meanwhile, we can turn the pages here on earth, and hold on to our roller-coaster lives. We are all in this together, all over the world!