你不必独自行走

Imagine hiking through an unfamiliar forest. 哪个更好?? To try to blaze a useable path through the underbrush, hacking away with a machete or ax, 在不平坦的地面上跌跌撞撞, blocked by large fallen tree trunks, confronted with unexpected ravines and slippery boulders? 或者有一个良好的标记, 经过整理的小径, with sturdy bridges and reliable signs, 并且是可读的, 准确的地图在你的手中?

When my wife and I vacationed in the mountains of western Virginia two years ago, we explored with great delight the several climbing trails on the property and never once got lost. We blessed the people who had already been through those woods, made and maintained those trails, 清除任何障碍, 张贴有用的标志, 画了很好的地图. Even as we set off on the trails with just each other for company, we walked in someone else’s footsteps and benefited from the efforts of those who went before us. It was like having a personal guide as a traveling companion, someone to point us in the correct direction, to show us spans over chasms and paths around seemingly insurmountable obstacles, to warn of dangers along the way, and to bring us safely through the woods, 然后去好好欣赏一下, guilt-free dinner back at the hotel. We 赢得了 这些热量!

Dealing with a cancer diagnosis can be much like a trek through undiscovered terrain. 你要做好准备. You want to know how to avoid whatever pitfalls and traps may loom. You seek guidance on the best way to come through to the other side safely. Where do you find such valuable assistance? Cancer support groups include members at all stages of the cancer care process, from newly diagnosed persons to long-standing survivors of many years. The “old pros” have l赢得了 a thing or two over their experience and they want to share the results of those lessons. Many people have told me about the instant community that coalesces in the infusion center, as people sitting in treatment chairs next to each other exchange ideas and insights, promoting helpful things to do as well as warning of problems to avoid. This information is nearly always trustworthy, but it is a good idea to verify what you hear with your care providers. Someday you’ll be able to pay this forward when you are the experienced survivor who takes someone under your wing.

The score of the beloved musical “Carousel” contains several memorable songs, including one that has become something of an international standard: “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” When sung, it is guaranteed to raise lumps in throats. Oscar Hammerstein’s lyrics communicate a near-universal human sense of solidarity, that in our darkest hours we are not bereft of comfort and nurturing support from those who love us, 甚至, 也许, from those who have passed from this life.

The Book of Ecclesiastes reminds us of the power of companionship when it states, “Though one may be overpowered, 两个人可以自卫. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” There is strength, as they say, in numbers, and wisdom in many counselors. As you proceed in your cancer care journey, take hold of all the available assistance. 你永远不必独自行走.