Attitude

While sitting and waiting for “Mary H,” one of my American Cancer patient who I transport occasionally, I was taken by the continuous flow of individuals through the doctor’s office. Cancer is no respective of station or position, of money and wealth, of family support or the lack there of. Some were brought by friends, some by family members and still others by caregivers. Every now and again someone was able to drive him or herself. Some came in new expensive cars while others were in cars that had long since seen better days.

Age was not a deciding factor either. Many were well up there in years, but every so often a young person would enter for their chemo treatments.

Attitude was also an interesting measuring guideline as to how these people were handling the challenges of their illness. Some entered, as they were already defeated. Some entered angry at the world and probably at God for “giving” them the cancer – by-the-way God doesn’t do that. There were those who just were so tired with the whole ordeal that they would have just preferred to give up, go home, climb in to bed, pull of the sheets and go to sleep … for ever.

My mind always came back to “Mary H.” Her situation is hopeless. The doctor has done all that he can do, except to keep her “comfortable” through chemo drugs. Monday-Friday, everyday for the rest of her life, she will have an appointment to get her treatments (4 to 5 hours long) or a shot (20 minutes). But, her attitude is so positive, so upbeat … she talks to everyone, greeting her “friends” with a smile and a warmth of caring.

Every time I pick her up she has a little more personal tragedy to share. Like the time that she had received the news from the weekend that her mama in Mexico had passed away. Yet, she still goes on. She has discovered the real lesson to living – it is all about attitude and a deep abiding faith that God is still in charge.

I’ve started to call her the “Queen” – it makes her laugh and God knows “Mary H” needs to have something to laugh about.

Look around you. There are a lot of people who are hurting and need to discover that there has to be something to laugh about. Who knows God just might have a “Queen” waiting to enter your life.

Quote for today: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: To choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's way.” Viktor Frankl, Nazi concentration camp survivor.