"...Everything can be taken from a man but one thing; the last of the human freedoms–to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."
~ Viktor Frankl

“I don't think anyone can imagine the power with which cancer takes over a life.” Alicia for The San Francisco Chronicle

A friend of mine who lives in the SF Bay area sent me a link to a newspaper, specifically a 23 year old woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer, whereupon they found it in her lungs, and hip. The story is one of the most touching about cancer that I have ever read as this girl particularly lost her mother to cancer a year before her own diagnoses. You know I frequently have my pity parties in life, actually at least one every other day as disconsolate as I am to admit that. But to my defense I have a dozen or so victory parties every day too, I happen to believe I am perhaps the most optimistic person I know in fact.

If you know me you know what my life has been molded by over the last few years, and much of what has molded me has been the disease cancer. Not me personally, but that of my dad and mom. I can honestly say you are never ready to deal with this disease; you are even less equipped to deal with this disease a year and a half after losing your father. This disease isn’t new, it affects thousands of people all over the world, and I know I’m not the only one. But one thing in this young woman’s column that she wrote about was her experience with a therapist who told her. Which is there is nothing positive about having cancer, and that many patients were pressured to feel positive at all times. This is true from what I’ve witnessed, because we know that positive thinking is half your battle, but it’s still okay to admit you had or have cancer, saying you have it won’t end you life. And that often what people have are “glimmers” or moments when you are happy, I can also say this is true. I have witnessed glimmers my mom does appear to be happy, as was my dad who was cheerful and friendly throughout his entire battle.

There are conditions in our life that affects us, all sorts of conditions, lately the past few years my specific condition has been holding a parents hand while they contend with a life threatening disease and being able to brew up a positive attitude while keeping one foot firmly planted in reality as not to get carried away. I suppose in all of this I learned the lesson that Viktor Frankl spoke of in his book. No matter what the world does to you, what amount of sleep you get, the food you eat all of the external factors the end result is of an inner decision YOU make, not a product that you are molded into.

Viktor Frankl was in a Nazi concentration camp and upon surviving wrote his book, and he came out of this wretched situation more of man rather than less simply because he retained his dignity, he like the rest of you out there who are in a situation that you may not want always have your inner freedom that cannot be lost or compromised unless you let it. The world is full of survivors from Cancer, Leukemia, or from holding the hands of the ones they love and trying desperately to be a light to guide them through darkness; we are all survivors of some sort.

Most importantly we all have a choice and we all still have our inner freedom…