 Bob
Brown's Story...I will never forget
the day I heard those dreaded words, “You have cancer!”
People say that getting a cancer diagnosis changes your life
forever, and I suppose in many ways that’s true. But for me
that life-changing event came four days later – on the day I
discovered The Wellness Community!
Here’s how it happened. We were
waiting for some lab reports to come in before scheduling
surgery. I was mighty jittery, and decided I needed to talk to
someone outside the family. Please understand my family was
tremendously supportive, but they were just as scared as I
was. So I called a friend who is a counselor at a large church
in the neighborhood, and asked him if he knew of any cancer
support groups. He came up with the name of The Wellness
Community.
Scared, feeling quite alone in my new
found predicament, and wondering “Why me?” I called. On
the other end of the line, I heard the warm, friendly voice of
a woman who explained to me that the emotions I was feeling
were perfectly normal, that a cancer diagnosis was no longer a
“death sentence,” and that through its activities and
services, which are absolutely free to cancer patients and
their families, The Wellness Community could become a
partner with my doctors and me in my recovery from the
disease.
Still scared and badly in need of some
stress reduction, I decided to visit The Wellness Community.
What I found was a very comfortable place, with people who
radiated confidence, courage, and empathy. I got a relaxation
tape to listen to, an information kit dealing with colon
cancer, and a calendar of events.
My next visit was a few days later, on
the morning of my surgery. There was a meditation class on
the schedule, and I thought it was just what I needed! The
leader shared a very powerful insight from her personal
journey that provoked a great deal of thought. She said she
was actually grateful to have contracted cancer. The reason
was that without the impetus it provided for her to deal with
certain life issues, she would not be living as rich and
fulfilling a life today.
That got me to thinking about the fact
that it’s not the quantity of life that’s important, but
rather the quality of life. I know that sounds kind of
“worn-out,” but it is a theme that is echoed again and again
in the Participant’s Group I attend every week. And, with
practice, it’s a life philosophy I have adopted.
I am learning to take life
one-day-at-a-time. To start each morning with excitement
and high expectations. And to end each day with gratitude and
a sense of adventurous anticipation about the day ahead. It’s
not that I don’t have long range plans and goals. I do. But
living this new way – a way I learned at The Wellness
Community – is much more fulfilling, and actually more
productive.
And that’s why I can say with all
sincerity that the day I called The Wellness Community, not
the day I learned I had cancer, was the day that changed my
life!
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