I recently found out that my grandfather is "sick" and by sick, I mean has cancer. I find it ironic because I work in a world in which I deal with sickness every day. I have been trained to be immune to the disease and the emotional attachment with life and death and just treat the patient. Separation is how doctors "deal" with the reality and sadness that they encounter every single day. I am convinced that part of the reason doctors spend 4 years in medical school and 3-7 years training in residency is so they can be separated as much as possible from normal human emotions associated with sickness. This being said, when my dad told me that my grandpa had a "spot" on his lungs biopsied and found to be cancer, my first thought was...well that is logical, he and my grandmother smoked for years and years, and he is 89...so it makes sense, right? I then realized, this was likely not the reaction I should feel after finding out this news about a loved one and I needed to separate myself from being a doctor, back to being a human. I found out a couple days later that one of my good friends who is near and dear to my heart was also going through tough times with a family sickness. This was hard for me to handle, my tears welled up and I could not make any logic of it. My reaction this time was...this is just sooooo not fair. This trend continued and I had a patient the very next day, which let me add, I am not violating any oaths I have taken by sharing this information, but she is much younger than me (I am 29) with breast cancer. To this I ask...what the heck and WHY??? I realized with all of these stories, there is no explanation, no logical reasoning, it just is the way it is, and all we can do is love and support those going through it, and believe they will get better.
Our lives are so short and often times we take what time we do have here for granted, not intentionally of course, but we get so caught up in the stress of work and every day worries that we lose sight of just living. The expression "Live, Laugh, Love" says it all. That is what is important, living our lives, not just being a back seat passenger in the game of life but rather hopping in the driver's seat! Laughing, think back on the last time you laughed until you cried, what an amazing feeling it was. The release of happy juice, as I call it, is unmistakably a fabulous feeling, so do it more...turn that frown upside down, lol! Finally, LOVE! That is all we can take with us from this life, as my mom has always told me, so give your heart to those you love! There is no telling when tomorrow will not come, so do it today, and show those you love just how much they mean to you, every single day, not just on anniversaries or birthdays or holidays...EVERY DAY!
Just a few thoughts for everyone to think about...myself included. I am so thankful for the life I have been granted I have a wonderful man who is my best friend who loves me unconditionally as I do him. I have a family who loves and supports me in everything I do and is always there for me. And I have wonderful friends who I wouldn't know what to do without them. My life is wonderful, and everytime I want to complain about what I don't have or don't want to do, I need to remind myself of how many wonderful things I do have, they are endless!
Your blog made me cry, Linzy! I'm so sorry about your grandpa. On a happier note, these cookies are AMAZING! WOW!!!!
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