Pop Quiz
Photo: Museums Victoria on Unsplash
Okay readers, time for a pop quiz.
Which of the following comparisons is true?
My Journey ≠ Your Journey
My Journey = Your Journey
Mark your answers. Time’s up, pencils down!
• • • • •
Comparisons - we all make them. Whether it be the amount of your paycheck, the achievements of your offspring, or the number of times you completed the word puzzle Wordle in three guesses or less, we tend to compare ourselves with others. Some of us are more competitive by nature, but all of us are affected to some degree. We may also find ourselves comparing when it comes to our cancer experiences.
My Journey ≠ Your Journey
This is true.
One of us may have had chemo, while another didn’t need it. This one had a double mastectomy, while that one only had a lump removed. They had poor health insurance, while their friend’s coverage was excellent.
Sometimes we may feel superior because we endured a tougher ride. Other times we discount what we went through because it wasn’t as dramatic as someone else’s journey. We can swing through both extremes in our minds in the course of days, or hours, or even minutes.
My Journey = Your Journey
This is also true.
To have been diagnosed with breast cancer means that we are now part of a club whose members have much in common. For starters, none of us wanted to join this club. We possibly felt a lump or had an abnormality appear on a mammogram. We had some form of biopsy. We waited and waited and waited for the pathology results. We heard those words that struck us to the core: “You have cancer.”
• • • • •
We need to allow our dissimilar experiences and our shared experiences to bring us together in sympathy, empathy, and solidarity. It’s not a competition - we don’t have to show off how rough it has been for us. On the other hand, don’t minimize what you have gone through because it was different from someone else’s road. It is what happened to you, it affected your life and the lives of those around you. Now what are you going to do with that experience?
Some of you may have heard the line from the Sunday school song:
“Hide it under a bushel? No! I’m gonna let it shine.”
Let’s allow our light of encouragement shine for those who are following a similar path to ours. Let’s use our light to help make the way a little easier for them to walk.