Saturday 5 July 2014

The cruise ship analogy.

My analogy of a cancer diagnosis is one of having lived my entire life on a cruise liner. I never had to think about steering this ship, or where I was going. I gorged on the buffet laid out before me, without consciousness. It was easy, but unsatisfying.

On diagnosis I felt that I had been cast out of the liner into a small row boat. Attached to the rest of society by a flimsy rope, life became a struggle to keep up. I felt isolated. Friends and family, still aboard the liner, waved at me eating cake, drinking wine, cheering me on. And I looked up longingly, misguidedly thinking that all I wanted was to get back onto that ship. 

Over time I started to look around me, to see the beauty of life inside my boat, the responsibility that I now embraced, and the madness of life on the liner. I began to steer my little boat, and wish that others (cancer free of course) could join me in the beauty of my adventure. 

I cut the rope.

Sometimes the storms down here are rough, but they are never less than exciting. I feel connected to the waves, vibrant and alive. I am constantly learning how to navigate this journey.

And when I look closely, I see a community of little boats, an armada. I am not alone. I never was. I was just in the wrong boat. 

4 comments:

  1. We are on the same boat . I understand your beautiful analogy. Many blessings,
    Scarlett

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  2. Your comment made me smile Scarlett. Blessings to you too. x

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  3. Sue and I love your beautiful analogy poem. I have written a book about Sue's cancer healing testimony and would love to use your words in our book to inspire others going through cancer. We would obviously give you credit for writing this and send you a book from the next print run if this was ok with you.

    my email address is info@cancer-acts.com and our website is www.cancer-acts.com We give free seminars sharing natural principles of cancer care and lifestyle coaching of people with cancer.

    God bless you

    Kind regards Robert

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  4. Thanks Robert and Sue for including this in your wonderful book. xx

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