8:05 a.m. I push open the heavy door that leads into the Cancer Center at Clarion Hospital, where the usual morning routine has already taken off. A coffee pot hisses. Blood is swiftly drawn into test tubes. Computer screens light up and machines begin to hum. Various IV bags are hung on metal hooks as their contents drip slowly. It may have been 10 seconds since I have entered the room, but it has only been five seconds since I have seen a smiling face.
Since I have returned home from school in May, I have been fortunate enough to spend many weekday mornings volunteering at the Cancer Center. Each time I have found myself standing in, what many may picture to be a room full of disease, but I have never witnessed so much life. I have walked through the corridors of a hospital where many would expect to be faced with fear or despair, but I have never found either of these things; I have only found love. I have never sensed the feeling of hopeless, I have only felt the comforting, tangible presence of faith.
In just a few short months, this experience has resonated deeply with me. Knowing the amount of time that I would have on my hands this summer, I made it my mission to use it valuably. I wanted to exercise my time in a manner that would allow me to help the people around me in some way. The ironic thing about my mission is that these people helped me. In a cold hospital room, I witnessed resiliency and courage. Under the harsh glow of fluorescent lights, I saw firsthand the thoughtless willingness to give love, and to share compassion. These nurses taught me what it means to selflessly care for others. This hospital showed me what it truly means to be a community. These patients taught me what it means to be alive, and more importantly what it means to be living for the right reasons.
On my most recent day working in the Cancer Center, I decided to ask a few of our patients questions, the answers to which I hope not only to share with you, but I hope that these answers find you. I know that in a very minuscule amount of time, these people have taught me something truly irreplaceable, and I believe that these are lessons that we could all learn very easily.
Q: “If you could, what advice would you give to your younger self?”
“I would tell myself to have a greater awareness. Make time matter and appreciate each day. There’s no reason to worry about the small stuff. Doubt is okay. It’s okay to be searching. You’re in a process that is lifelong, and there will be struggle.”
“Not to stress about the future. I thought things were so difficult then, but everything will be okay. Don’t be cattle - don’t follow everyone. Be yourself and enjoy your life. And let go of your focus of what’s on the outside.”
“Learning is important. Work is very important. But never ahead of your family. If you love someone, tell them. Always tell them.”
Q: “What is one of the greatest lessons you have learned in your life?”
“The first thing is that you can do anything that you set your mind to. That is an absolute. The second thing is to establish your faith in God. The hard times are when you learn the most. You don’t learn much when things are going well. So don’t run away from your problems, you can’t run backwards. Run toward your struggles and God will meet you in the middle.”
“A really hard lesson is to love yourself. It’s okay to go up to a mirror and say ‘Hey you look cute today’. I was always afraid to do this. People may think that it’s strange, but it’s important to love yourself.”
“Everyone wants life to be simpler. But we have to remember that someone is always doing worse than us. There isn’t a single person who goes through life without struggles. Things may be a mess now, but the good times will come.”
“So many people say ‘Why me? Why me?’. It’s like when you’re taking the peel off of an orange, and then you bite into it and it’s sour. But we can change our minds. We shouldn't be thinking ‘Why me?’ When you peel into your orange, you decide to make it taste sweet.”
Q: “What advice would you give to anyone who wants to improve their life?”
“Just ask yourself, ‘How can I be a better person?’. Every day I try to help one person and do one thing for myself. And it’s only been five years of doing this, but it has changed my life. It’s brought me so much joy. It’s easier to live when I’m not focusing on myself.”
“It all whittles down to family, work and your own happiness. You just have to get those all set in the correct order.
“So much time is snatched away from us from TV and from our phones. Like that Pokemon Go thing, that’s the weirdest thing. Don't let these things draw you away from life. Look around you.”
“We are all one person. Our whole world is one body. And when you hurt someone, you hurt yourself. Decide to look around you and see where you can be positive. Then what if we all did that?”
Every person that we will ever meet has a story. We are all embarking on our own journeys, which are wonderfully and transcendentally intertwined. Every one, no matter what they may be facing now or what lies ahead, they all have something special to teach us. And we can learn so much from people, if only we take the time to listen.
