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Surprises of Life
"This sounds really depressing, I know. But it’s actually kind of liberating for me, to know that life is a series of surprises."
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By Sarah Beth McKay
The diagnosis of cancer can have various different impacts on family members-- some retreat into denial, some embrace the challenge and some even find goodness from the situation. Youth Radio's Sara Beth McKay recently found out her mother was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Although her mother's diagnosis came as a shock, Sara's been able to find comfort in the situation, and she's even adopted a new outlook on life. (February 5 on WABE)
My mom was recently diagnosed with a rare type of breast cancer. Only two months earlier, she had had a mammogram and was told that everything was perfectly normal.
So you can imagine our shock at her diagnosis. The type of cancer she has doesn't show up on mammograms.
Generally, I’m someone who needs to be in control of a situation to feel comfortable. But now, I’ve realized that no matter how prepared you are, things happen in life that no amount of hard work and precaution can prevent. This sounds really depressing, I know. But it’s actually kind of liberating for me, to know that life is a series of surprises.
When I was little, my mom would gather my family on the screened porch to discuss our personal goals and values. I remember my mom urging me to divide my world into two spheres—one that I have influence over and one that I can’t control.
At the time, I half listened to this advice, doodling in my notebook – not concentrating on my mom’s words. But now I understand the battle she’s currently winning against breast cancer conveys her message: the gigantic weight of worrying about all the uncontrollable things that could go wrong in life isn’t worth the stress.
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