The Mystery of Life

Last night I watched the re-broadcast of Farrah's Story.  Now while some people told me they did not wish to see it, feeling it would be just too sad to watch, I wanted to see it.  

Why?

Because I felt I needed to see it.  Watching this brave woman's battle with cancer was an eye-opener for me.  All the pain and medical tests she underwent; the ups and downs of you've got tumors, now you don't, now you do--and yet she kept going, maintaining this determination that she would beat cancer.  She. would. win.

I give her enormous credit.  She did not win her battle, but her attitude was amazing.  Her strong desire to live extended her life for a year or so longer than doctors expected and illustrates the difference between people who resign themselves to the inevitable and those who won't accept defeat no matter what.

So what did I learn from Farrah's story?  I learned how valuable life really is and how fortunate I am to have the luxury of good health.  Good health is something many of us take for granted. We witness and read about celebrities, professional athletes, and business people and perhaps envy their wealth, popularity, material goods, and career choices.  But being wealthy and a celebrity didn't stop Farrah from getting cancer.  Cancer doesn't care who you are.  It's a nondiscriminatory killer.

I will try to remember to be thankful every day that I'm healthy.  I'm still sick right now, but I'm rather sure I'll recover from this illness.  I know others will not be so lucky regarding the health battles they're fighting.

And that raises the question of why do some of us become terminally ill while some do not?

There is no definitive answer to that question.  If there's something in the genes that makes us predisposed to cancer, then perhaps that's it.  If not, then what?  Environmental factors?

Life is one big mystery and we're all pretty much in the dark, watching each chapter unfold.  The answers might never be revealed, or at least not to our satisfaction.