like a diamond ...: family and prayer

Thursday, December 6, 2007

family and prayer

The good thing about family is the safe cocoon that it offers a child in this strange phenomenon, “life”. Even with disease and death, the family forms a net of safety so that the child lives confidently and fearlessly, knowing an inherent “goodness” in that which is.

I think that perhaps this safety and reassurance of goodness is what we mean to give each other when we say that we will “pray for” them. As well as the acknowledgement that we are all mysteriously here and in this together.

like a diamond ...

Before the mastectomy, I saw an MRI image of my invasive breast cancer on a computer screen. This was the day before they did the MRI-guided biopsy. There was nothing vague about it – it looked clear and defined, bright and shiny – like a diamond. When I saw it, I did not know that it was cancer, and I asked the Dr. what else it could be. Oh, a density of fibrous tissue or something, he said. All I knew was that it was different from everything around it, and I have come to trust that my breast cancer is, indeed, some kind of treasure.

Though I write honestly, and sometimes perhaps flippantly and cynically, about my experiences with breast cancer and the medical system, I mean no disrespect to the professionals who treat me. I am incredibly grateful for their knowledge and skills, their very hands(!) – and I am humbled by the way they dedicate their lives (and days and nights) to the health and care of our bodies (my body!). The personalities of my doctors and their assistants, with all of their human variations, truly do bless and charm me.