I knew Samira for years before her breast cancer diagnosis. When she was first diagnosed, Samira was a single mother of three school-aged children. She was a hard-working janitor with no other source of income and no relatives or close friends to rely on. All she had was the tiny wage she was earning cleaning schools all week. With no medical insurance, Samira could not afford conventional medical treatment. “Either I pay for my chemotherapy or feed and educate my kids. This is not a hard choice to make, is it?” She told me with the usual serene smile on her face. Samira quickly set her priorities straight. Her primary role, she decided, is to take care of her children and provide them with a good education so that they won’t face the same difficult life she was leading; and that she would do so until her last breath. As a religious person, Samira felt she had a mission to live for and placed her total trust in God. She believed that “God does not burden any soul with more than it can handle” (Q. 2:286). She drew on her sincere faith to gain an incredible determination and strength that enabled her to carry on with her mission with a deep meaning and purpose. Although she couldn’t afford medication, Samira assumed responsibility for her health by getting the best nutritional and alternative help she could afford. She lived in the moment and carried on with her life in total satisfaction and surrender to the Divine. Today, ten years later, Samira is a grandmother, her daughter is happily married; her elder son is a successful accountant working to support her and his younger college-student brother. No sign left of her cancer.
Life or health challenges can open the door for spiritual growth and life transformation. For many people, those physical challenges can change the way they approach and appreciate life, draw them closer to God and to their community, give them feeling of safety and peace, and boost their sense of self-esteem, strength, and worthiness. For others, facing such crisis may precipitate emotional trauma, lead them to question their faith, fall into helplessness and self-blame, or succumb to anger and resentment.[1] It is your choice! I am not saying it is an easy one, though. Nevertheless, it is a conscious intentional path that we need to embark on. Our first step is that conscious choice!
[1] Ellen G. Levine et. al. Ethnicity and Spirituality in Breast Cancer Survivors. Journal of cancer survivorship. Volume 1: 3 2007/ Pages 212-225.
Life or health challenges can open the door for spiritual growth and life transformation. For many people, those physical challenges can change the way they approach and appreciate life, draw them closer to God and to their community, give them feeling of safety and peace, and boost their sense of self-esteem, strength, and worthiness. For others, facing such crisis may precipitate emotional trauma, lead them to question their faith, fall into helplessness and self-blame, or succumb to anger and resentment.[1] It is your choice! I am not saying it is an easy one, though. Nevertheless, it is a conscious intentional path that we need to embark on. Our first step is that conscious choice!
[1] Ellen G. Levine et. al. Ethnicity and Spirituality in Breast Cancer Survivors. Journal of cancer survivorship. Volume 1: 3 2007/ Pages 212-225.
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