Dear friends:
As a cancer survivor, I have been running around with a dark cloud over my head since the summer of 2009. I have been faced with death and I know what he looks like, but I have made a decision to not be afraid to live. I don’t know when I will face the threat of death again, but I will not let him have power over me. With all the chaos and unknowns from the threat of COVID-19 -- the coronavirus, others now understand a little of what cancer survivors have been living with after they were diagnosed.
Fear is a normal response to the unknown and it feels very real. Our human brains are all hardwired to fear in order to survive, but sometimes fear can stem from the creation of a series of what-ifs that can become debilitating. Not managing your fear is what gives your power away. Psychologists tell us that we have to learn to emotionally process our fear in order to be able to take one careful step forward. Fear means to proceed with caution. It does not mean to stop. Panic is fear out of control.
So to all my friends who are cancer survivors and are at-risk with compromised immune systems, I say:
Stay strong.
Stay emotionally connected to others.
Protect yourself.
Be kind to others.
Smell the air, even if it is with a mask.
Count your blessings.
Listen to music.
Read.
Walk.
To those who now have met fear, I say, “Welcome to my world. We will get through this together, even if I have to give you a virtual hug.”
#HarrisStrong
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