When I visit individuals receiving cancer treatment, I routinely hear words of appreciation intended for those who been helpful, kind and supportive.
It is sometimes difficult to find the right opportunity to give thanks to the people who most deserve those thanks. So let me say a collective thank you based on my personal experiences and from what I hear on a daily basis.
Thank you to our family members who never waver in their support and their love.
Thank you to our friends who take us to appointments, make us laugh, and fill our freezers with food.
Thank you to our co-workers who pitch in and take on extra work while we are in treatment.
Thank you to our friends from across the country who call, write, and visit.
Thank you to our neighbors who walk our dogs, mow our grass, and drop off cookies.
Thank you to our friends who take our kids to school programs, sporting events and other outings to give us extra rest.
Thank you to friends and strangers who say prayers in support of our recovery.
Thank you to our doctors who direct our treatment and answer our difficult questions with patience and honesty.
Thank you to the chemotherapy nurses and radiation therapists who administer complex care with intelligence and empathy.
Thank you to the many nurses who deal with our symptoms, side effects and worries with professionalism and kindness.
Thank you to those individuals at reception desks who smile and make us feel welcome and somehow safe when life seems out of control.
Thank you to our support group buddies who share the cancer experience with us.
Thank you to our support group leaders who bring us together and create community.
Thank you to our pets who curl up beside us and give us comfort.
Thank you to our friends who show us how to live with advanced cancer with remarkable courage and grace.
Thank you all.
Reprinted with permission of the Ithaca Journal
Original publication date: July 14, 2012
Excerpted with permission from When Your Life is Touched By Cancer: Practical Advice and Insights for Patients, Professionals, and Those Who Care by Bob Riter, copyright (c) 2013, Hunter House Inc., Publishers.