I feel like I've been surrounded by Cancer Fighters my entire life. My grandmother passed away from ovarian cancer when I was a little boy. My mother bravely fought breast cancer for 15 years. I have had uncles and aunts who passed away from different cancers such as bone marrow, skin, lung, endometrial, and pancreas cancers. My Cousin Alan and my best friend Greg, (since kindergarten), both passed from brain cancer.
I have other friends who have battled cancer. I remember the challenges some of my coworkers have had and the time off they had to take for exams and treatments, etc. I hate cancer because too many people I know and loved have suffered. It's just not cancer patients who have felt pain but their immediate families and the anguish they feel as they watch their loved one's struggle with cancer. So much pain and sorrow. I have been on both sides of that aisle. Sorry for my rant, but hey, this is how I feel. When you have fond memories of people you grew up with and cancer takes them from you it gets personal. My heart sinks every time I hear of someone I know receiving a cancer diagnosis.
The thing about cancer is it shows no prejudice. It does not discriminate. It happens to people from all walks of life: professional athletes, movie stars, your next-door neighbor. It's crazy if you think about it. This list could go on and on. Consider this, an estimated 1,806,590 new cases of cancer were diagnosed in 2020. As of January 2019, there were an estimated 16.9 million cancer survivors in the U.S. alone. That is a lot of people. Let's put this another way: approximately 39.5% of men and women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lifetime. Simple truth is so many of us are affected either directly or indirectly by cancer.
This is a lot of hurt in the world due to cancer. We need people to step up and say I care. I am one of them. I want to play a small part and infuse hope into the lives of cancer patients. Almost all of my Art Prints are a composite of my memories and interactions with people who have had cancer. I am keenly aware of their daily struggles to maintain balance in their life despite having cancer.
Each of them had their own coping strategies that worked for them. Some adopted healthier lifestyles, others leaned on their spiritual faith, or their warrior attitude. Many of them have been called superheroes for their strength and fortitude. Others have sought peace in nature. Each and every one of them have found little ways that work to get by. So many friends and family have inspired me it's crazy.
I want cancer patients to fight back. Cancer to me is nothing but a big bully that wreaks havoc on your body and goes after your mental psyche. Do not let this big bully called cancer get the best of you. I know too well how much of a challenge it is to remain steadfast through difficult times. Some of us may put on a brave face, but inside we have our share of fears. Dealing with cancer sometimes does that, making our normally strong mental psyche seem fragile as hell.
God knows I've had my share of challenges due to life stressors caused by cancer. Some of which recently caused me a bit of delay in moving forward after launching this website. There will be times you need to take a step back and regroup and refocus like I did. Not everyone can be strong and positive all the time. Remember this...allowing yourself to be vulnerable is a sign of strength, not weakness.
The good news is there are ways to limit the impact of how these life stressors affect our daily lives. In the days ahead I plan on writing about issues that affect cancer patients and tips to make your life a bit easier, more manageable.
We cancer patients need every edge we can get. I hope you are able to use these Art Prints or other gear at Fight Cancer Gifts as your inspiration to maintain a positive vibe during difficult times. Sometimes we just need a little nudge in the right direction to keep us motivated and on track to do the things we need to do.
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