The Equalizer

Hello again from Cancerland. My husband now has three of the eight prescribed chemo treatments under his belt. The only hiccup so far has been when treatment was postponed last week. His bloodwork came back abnormal indicating that his liver wasn’t so crazy about all of this. It’s an added level of frustration when you get psyched up for treatment day only to be sent home. It’s all in our best interest though. It’s affirmation that we are being taken good care of and sometimes that good care includes waiting.

In fact, if I had to come up with a tagline for Cancerland brochures, it would be “Hurry up and Wait!” There is a lot of waiting and a lot of waiting rooms. Those waiting rooms aren’t just a place to work on puzzles and snack on assorted vending machine goodies. There is a lot to learn there. The biggest lesson I have learned so far from my time in the waiting room is that cancer is the great equalizer.

Cancer doesn’t care who you are, where you live, what kind of clothes you wear, what color your skin is, or how old you are. In those waiting rooms everyone is on an equal playing field. We have found common ground with each other.

We are complete strangers randomly put together for a short period of time, yet there is an unspoken bond. The same bond that we are reminded of in Romans 12:5, “So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

This sense of solidarity is a hallmark of a truly Spirit-led life. On the spiritual journey there comes a time when the Spirit convicts us that it is not us and them anymore. There are no strangers. There are no lines of demarcation that separate us from each other. From this awareness comes a new found sense of responsibility and compassion. We really are our brother’s (sister’s) keeper.

Too bad it seems to take some kind of trial or disaster to get that point across. It’s in those moments of vulnerability that the Spirit can reach us and soften our hearts to the fact that we are all part of one body, and when one part of that body is broken or sick, we all become caretakers in one way or another. We can’t and shouldn’t ignore that truth.

Next time you’re waiting somewhere, whether it’s at the doctor’s office, in line at the deli, or at the dreaded DMV, stop and take a good look around. Let the true beauty of all the “parts” sink in. Open your heart to feel the connection with those around you.

And let’s do what the sign says, “Let’s Take Care of Each Other.”

Joan