One cubic centimeter of volume contains one billion cancer cells. Wow! That is a lot! Size matters always with cancer. The larger the tumors, the more readily they spread and damage other organs. As oncologists we are always screening for the small easily treatable disease to keep life as whole as possible.
Why then is bigger so often considered better: material goods like houses, cars, paychecks, property, gemstones even eye lashes?! The big vacations, star studded parties, glamorous lifestyles can all capture our imaginations.
Today I want to remind us all to consider size in a different way. Its rarely the big items (after our basic needs are met) that make us truly happy. The inner feeling of joy and contentment is available to us throughout our day in very small ways. How can we balance the huge diagnosis destroying our peace like cancer? Think of a balance scale. A large stone on one side tips the scale, but as we start to place small, even tiny stones opposite, balance can be regained and even tip the other way. So simple. A smile, hug, a breath without pain, a good night’s sleep, can only begin to balance if we pay attention to and appreciate them. Picture picking up a stone of relief and placing it on the scale.
I had my own awareness when I was driving down the street this Thursday at 6:35 PM. Cars stopped and the drivers were getting out and pointing skyward. Children on bikes jumped off to clap. Landscapers shut down and shaded their eyes to watch. I asked about the fuss. “It’s the Space X Falcon Heavy Rocket launch. Look Look!!” Sure enough I joined the crowd in the street to watch the rocket launched from Kennedy Space Station ( 150 miles South). It was obvious with its triple jet stream against a crystal blue sky. We all were enthralled. I assure you at that moment no one was thinking of their pain or life dramas. This tiny distant force (5 million pounds of thrust- the most powerful in the world) would have no direct bearing on our lives and yet it did. We were transfixed, excited, smiling and cheering. It was a gift, literally out of the blue.
We may not get to see rockets but we can all find that small moment that lightens our hearts and then we can find more and more until the balance of burden shifts. Try it for yourself. If you have heartaches or fear, find ten things today to witness and be thankful for. The next morning as I headed to clinic, I saw two distinct parallel white streaks in the sky curling downward- what could possibly fly like that? Sure enough it was from the recovery of the boosters side by side and synchronized, leaving their mark fourteen hours later, another gift and smile. Sally a patient told me this week, “I love to sit outside and look at the sky, squirrels and birds”. You can change the balance of power in your life everyday. The opportunity is often right in front of us.
Did you find ten joys today? Sharing can help other’s awareness. Joanne