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Christmas With Cancer by Connie L Meyer
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
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This article is from the monthly journal entries written for "Today's Woman" magazine. They come from journals I kept ten years ago while caring from my terminally ill parents. I share them in the hope of helping others in similar circumstances.
Journal Tip: The holidays are stressful enough without serious illness added to the mix. Remember that things are not going to be the way they were when you are caring for an ill parent/or parents. Traditions are suddenly trade-offs for more important things. Illness forces us to look at life with new eyes, especially during the holidays. Allow your eyes to see the blessings that come from such illness. Being together becomes more precious than ever. Living in the moment is no longer a choice, but an opportunity for growth.
I’m sitting in a tiny hospital room with Mother. I have a small cot where I can stay the two to three days while Mother undergoes this latest chemotherapy. As she sleeps, I look at a huge calendar that says December 15. It doesn’t seem possible–only ten days until Christmas. It doesn’t feel like Christmas. The nurses all wear Christmas earrings and bright lights decorate the hospital halls, but it still doesn’t seem like Christmas.
It’s just one more day of illness. One day closer to a cure for cancer. One more day I can spend with my mother. In one moment our lives are changed by a word. Fear takes hold, and we no longer function as we once did–taking life for granted.
The shopping that used to seem so important will have to wait. The traditions we shared for so long will have to change. Mother will not be baking her jam cake this year, and our family may not be able to have dinner together in the usual way. Suddenly it all seems so unimportant. All that matters is that Mother and Daddy are home and feeling good for Christmas. All that matters is that our family is together. This year we will celebrate Christmas the way it should be celebrated —in our hearts together.
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