What’s the right way for me to celebrate my cancerversary, the anniversary of the day the wattage of my life changed from BC to AC (After Cancer)?
We celebrate anniversaries of happy milestones, like our birth, wedding, and job. We commemorate—not celebrate—anniversaries of sad and painful milestones, like 9/11. Why should I celebrate the difficult day I faced a frightening illness that caused pain and loss?
As I see it, celebrating cancerversaries doesn’t honor the day of diagnosis (or the day of completing treatment, or whichever milestone patients choose), so much as they honor all that followed, such as having…
Endured whichever treatments got us to today
Achieved this or that, despite cancer
Learned lessons through adversity that have made life better, in certain ways
Cancerversaries also celebrate the team who helped us get to today: the doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, family, friends, and volunteers.
At the heart of a cancerversary celebration is heightened awareness that we’re still alive…here to celebrate today. Whether with festivities, rituals or other activities (such as making a donation), we’re fulfilling a need to express gratitude.
My cancerversary is November 13th. Wow. 29 years! Some years I threw a party. Others years, well, I forgot until days later—and each time that happened, that was the best way to celebrate that year.
This year, I’ll begin my celebration with my usual morning cup of coffee, which I’ll savor. I’ll keep working on an exciting new book. Then, after a long rest, I’ll chair a patient advocacy meeting. Most important, I’ll tell my family and friends how much I love them. One more tme.
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