Each early morning jog brings me past a pond with a regal white heron at its shoreline. The bird sits in rapt attention, motionless like a statue. This week a comical duck is right next to it, at first, also sitting as if to imitate. He then tumbles into the water, legs in the air, pops back up and repeats a few times. The heron pays no attention. The duck is performing and perhaps trying to break his attention but to no avail.

Would that we all could master that stoicism and deliberate focus. “Why admire this, Joanne? You might then have missed this amusing scene”. You are correct, but here is the issue: Cancer, disease, covid, illness, injury, insult all can derail focus to our detriment. Most patients believe they need to drop everything for their cancer drama. Put life on hold until the mess is over. Daily I am asked, “When am I done?” As if they are holding their breath. This week, ” After surgery, chemo and radiation will I get immunotherapy and is it a pill or IV?” Even the future is hijacked. We’ve addressed meditation, being in the moment, concentrating on what is important elsewhere, but let’s be honest, cancer is a thief and all consuming.

The diagnosis surely deserves attention and a dance card filled with doctors’ visits and procedures becomes the new ‘work”. Understood. I want to encourage everyone taking a moment to read this to catch yourselves and concentrate on living. Don’t give into the temptation to abdicate all the effort and attention to this “thing”. Yes, it interferes with your day, work and relationships, but it should never ever replace them. Then it becomes even more damaging then it deserves.

Be like the beautiful serene heron and focus forward. Look past the distraction into a future, living a real and purposeful life. It is a simple straight forward message today. Complex, because it takes your self awareness to determine what is important to you, now and in your future. It cannot be to come for radiation or get through chemo or on the other side of any drama that you are facing. No way. You and your life are too valuable. You are here for a reason and need to honor your own trajectory. It takes a reminder everyday. Soon the heron and the clownish little duck will be gone from this pond, but each day I will gaze in that direction and be reminded that nothing should interfere with my life’s mission and passion. Stay the course. Your life deserves your undivided attention.