Thursday, May 26, 2005
Not Invincible
I'm in a pretty somber mood tonight. My friend Britt just told me today that she has breast cancer. She only found out this week too. I was stunned. It was like, "What? Are you kidding?" Britt then went on to say that there's only a 5-10% chance of all people our age actually getting breast cancer. And that she was one of the 'lucky few.'
Yup. She was still able to joke about the cruel hand life has dealt her. How is that possible? Especially because my own heart sank when she told me. Britt's actually taking it incredibly well. She was like, "Yeah I'll be fine. I'm going home and my mom will take care of me, and I have Alicia (her girlfriend) and she's taking care of me too. Plus I have a great doctor."
She was seeing all the positive aspects of the situation. Such as the fact that it's almost definitely in the early stages because she had a breast taken at the beginning of the year, and she was fine. So it's something that's come up in the last 6 months or so.
Britt was just so amazingly upbeat. And the whole time I was talking to her, all I could think of was how this girl's life could potentially be falling apart. She'd been all set to do a year-long exchange program in England next year. Now she can't go. She's an avid basketball player, in tip top health. And suddenly she gets this bomb dropped on her. I couldn't help thinking that if I'd found myself in her shoes, I'd be falling apart at the seams right now.
And yet at the same time, I just don't know what to say to her. "I'm sorry" doesn't quite seem to cut it. And I don't want to be overly upbeat because I don't want to look as if I don't care or as if I'm trying to ignore the gravity of the situation. But since she's so optimistic about it, I don't want to be overly concerned and overly gushing either. I don't want to break what I would think must be a really fragile bubble that she's currently built around herself.
I know her chances for a full recovery are still very good. But yet what do you say to a person who's just found out that they have a disease that could be terminal?
It just brings the fragility of life home. All this stuff that we built our lives upon. Its a gift. Not a right. And we're not invincible. Because it doesn't take much for things to come tumbling down like a pack of cards.
At this moment, Britt is the person I admire most in this world. Because I wonder if I would have even half the strength that she has if I found myself in her shoes.
Yup. She was still able to joke about the cruel hand life has dealt her. How is that possible? Especially because my own heart sank when she told me. Britt's actually taking it incredibly well. She was like, "Yeah I'll be fine. I'm going home and my mom will take care of me, and I have Alicia (her girlfriend) and she's taking care of me too. Plus I have a great doctor."
She was seeing all the positive aspects of the situation. Such as the fact that it's almost definitely in the early stages because she had a breast taken at the beginning of the year, and she was fine. So it's something that's come up in the last 6 months or so.
Britt was just so amazingly upbeat. And the whole time I was talking to her, all I could think of was how this girl's life could potentially be falling apart. She'd been all set to do a year-long exchange program in England next year. Now she can't go. She's an avid basketball player, in tip top health. And suddenly she gets this bomb dropped on her. I couldn't help thinking that if I'd found myself in her shoes, I'd be falling apart at the seams right now.
And yet at the same time, I just don't know what to say to her. "I'm sorry" doesn't quite seem to cut it. And I don't want to be overly upbeat because I don't want to look as if I don't care or as if I'm trying to ignore the gravity of the situation. But since she's so optimistic about it, I don't want to be overly concerned and overly gushing either. I don't want to break what I would think must be a really fragile bubble that she's currently built around herself.
I know her chances for a full recovery are still very good. But yet what do you say to a person who's just found out that they have a disease that could be terminal?
It just brings the fragility of life home. All this stuff that we built our lives upon. Its a gift. Not a right. And we're not invincible. Because it doesn't take much for things to come tumbling down like a pack of cards.
At this moment, Britt is the person I admire most in this world. Because I wonder if I would have even half the strength that she has if I found myself in her shoes.
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