Thursday, August 31, 2006

An Unwanted Journey: Day 0282 - Chillin'



Cancer has its blessings. One such blessing is the realization that territoriality is stupid. When we are healthy and immortal, we protect our turf. We get defensive and irritated when someone apparently has the nerve to offer us advice or, worse yet, threatens to invade our area of responsibility.

Today, my Community Care Access Centre nurse and I were speaking about lessons learned during cancer treatment. I mentioned how many things which would have raised the hairs on my neck a year ago, no longer have an impact. These days, it takes a concerted effort to insult me or to make me think that my territory has been invaded. That's a good thing, I think.

One of the virtues championed by Christianity is humility. But the chances of finding a Christian with true humility is next to nill. Still, whatever the chances of finding a humble person or of cultivating your own brand of humility, it seems to me that getting a diagnosis of cancer might just do the trick. Somehow knowing that your life is threatened by cells with a type A personality makes it easier to chill.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I brag about my humility.

way west