If you think about it outside the context of cancer, we never go
back. Anything you do - take on a new job, get married, go on a holiday - changes in some way, small or profound, the way we see our life. We are hardwired to go forward. Wanting to get back to normal is perfectly natural - no sane person wants the anxiety, the uncertainty, the physical ups and downs that go with a serious health problem. But no-one can really wipe it out of their consciousness either - it happened, we reacted and things are no longer as they were. I will sound like a right Pollyanna if I say that the new normal could perhaps be better than the old one - seven years on it is for me and, knowing that, is making dealing with a pandemic a fraction easier. You will find reserves you never knew you had. You can learn to love your body for its resilience and overlook the damage. You can accept the fact that life is both more dangerous than you thought but also infinitely more precious. No, most people won’t know exactly what it feels like for you but that happens with many things - and somehow we manage to accept the good intentions of others even if they don’t quite get the exact point! None of us can see the future - we make plans, hope for the best and seize opportunities. And we can go on doing that. Weep when it all gets too much - it’s good for you. But laugh whenever you can. Sing and be noisy. Whistling in the dark makes us braver. Take care.
