The conclusion of my "Ok to Go" blog about cancer. About contesting a purely combative mindset around cancer. About the grief and gifts of the disease so far. About channeling Jody Foster in Contact.
This post is so wise, Ed--many bits of wisdom about how to deal with such a diagnosis with calm acceptance and faith. I especially liked the comment by Erin: “You don’t really fight,” she said. “You receive. The medicine does the fighting.”
I think our being as biological organisms is better able to do its job of healing if we feel trusting and as relaxed as possible about how we try to send away the trouble makers. I feel honored to be part of your healing posse.
Thanks very much for your generous comment, Dorothy. I have learned so much about from you over the years about biology--and beyond. Thanks so much for being party of my healing posse!
This piece reminds me that a lot of “other ways of being”—especially those that embrace, welcome, and reinforce community—were the norm not so long ago. An illustration: some years ago we went to the Amazon to be with some of the indigenous people (the Achuar) there and work with a shaman using plant medicine.
If you’re not a shaman, that’s a very infrequent event. Yet we learned that the community we were with had ALL done ayahuasca just before our visit.
Why? The village had some teens that were acting out. But rather than punish or therapize the teens, as we might here, the
Achuar viewed it as a reflection of the whole community…and so it was the system that was asking for rebalance.
It feels like you, too, are wanting to find ways to address this situation that don’t awfulize or isolate it. Rather, meeting the situation with an open heart, warmth, curiosity, and mind intention.
Which, rather than calling on yourself to be who you’re not, invites you to be still more of who you already are.
Thanks for this wonderful response, Mark. That story of the Achuar is telling and inspiring. Yes, I'm trying to address the cancer without "awfulizing" (love that word!). And how great would it be if it helped me become more of myself?!
This post is so wise, Ed--many bits of wisdom about how to deal with such a diagnosis with calm acceptance and faith. I especially liked the comment by Erin: “You don’t really fight,” she said. “You receive. The medicine does the fighting.”
I think our being as biological organisms is better able to do its job of healing if we feel trusting and as relaxed as possible about how we try to send away the trouble makers. I feel honored to be part of your healing posse.
Thanks very much for your generous comment, Dorothy. I have learned so much about from you over the years about biology--and beyond. Thanks so much for being party of my healing posse!
This piece reminds me that a lot of “other ways of being”—especially those that embrace, welcome, and reinforce community—were the norm not so long ago. An illustration: some years ago we went to the Amazon to be with some of the indigenous people (the Achuar) there and work with a shaman using plant medicine.
If you’re not a shaman, that’s a very infrequent event. Yet we learned that the community we were with had ALL done ayahuasca just before our visit.
Why? The village had some teens that were acting out. But rather than punish or therapize the teens, as we might here, the
Achuar viewed it as a reflection of the whole community…and so it was the system that was asking for rebalance.
It feels like you, too, are wanting to find ways to address this situation that don’t awfulize or isolate it. Rather, meeting the situation with an open heart, warmth, curiosity, and mind intention.
Which, rather than calling on yourself to be who you’re not, invites you to be still more of who you already are.
Thanks for your leadership in modeling that, Ed!
Thanks for this wonderful response, Mark. That story of the Achuar is telling and inspiring. Yes, I'm trying to address the cancer without "awfulizing" (love that word!). And how great would it be if it helped me become more of myself?!