My Letter To Cancer
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

My Letter To Cancer

What I've always thought, but never said.

14
My Letter To Cancer
Chloe Kisela

You probably think you’ve won. After all, there’s still no cure. Millions have and are still dying from your cruel torture. Around the world, family and friends are forced to watch their loved ones suffer every day. You’ve negatively impacted so many lives, and I bet you’re proud of it, aren’t you?

But, cancer, you’re losing. And I’m here to tell you why.

Dear cancer, don’t take this the wrong way, but you pick your targets very poorly. See, you have a tendency to go after the best of us. And while they are the most undeserving of your awful torment, they are also the strongest people ever. You might think that you can break them down, but fighting you only makes them even stronger. After battling through all the chemo treatments, surgeries, and countless sleepless nights, many emerge victorious, leaving you behind them in the dust (and rightfully so). And, frankly, those you “defeat” are in a better place now, a place that’s worthy of the kind of people they are.

Dear cancer, you may think you break the family and friends of those who you ultimately take. But, after all the grief and pain has passed, they too will come out on the other side. Despite the heartache, there will come a day when they will look back on the time they had with their loved one and smile. They won’t pay any mind to you. Cancer, if you're looking for attention, it's not working. In all honesty, the only reason people care about you is because we want you gone.

And dear cancer, we will never rest until we find a cure. Have your fun and play your games while you’re still here because, I assure you, soon you’ll just be a distant memory. And no one will miss you. Hundreds of years from now, people will look back on these times and wonder how something so awful as you even came into our world in the first place.

Dear cancer, you just may be getting worried that, yes, someday you’ll lose this battle. But you’re already losing. Your main goal has always been to tear lives apart in any cruel way possible. But you have failed.

You might try to tear us down, and you even take some of those closest to us. But you will never break us. Instead, you have united us as one human race in the fight against you. And despite all of our differences in race, age, gender, nationality, you name it, one thing we all have in common is our hatred towards you. Because cancer, you are nothing more than a disease. You are the scum of the earth.

And even as individuals, you can’t break us. Having you as a prevalent and unfortunate reality in our world only makes us appreciate each and every day more. You make our laughs a little fuller, our eyes a little brighter, and our smiles a little bigger -- not because of what you do, but because of what you accidentally remind us. You remind us that love is the most important thing in this world, and we need to make sure those closest to us know it every day. You remind us that our lives on earth aren’t permanent, but that our spiritual lives with God are. You remind us to live everyday to the fullest, because we never know which will be our last. And it may sound strange, but thank you.

Dear cancer, thank you for making me wake up in the morning appreciating everything that I have been given. Thank you for reminding me to never let an opportunity pass by. Thank you for helping me decide to smile at a stranger. Thank you for making me watch the sunset a little longer. Thank you for giving me a parent in heaven, because now I will always have him as my guardian angel watching over me. Thank you for making me into the person I am today.

You’re probably confused, cancer. Why would I thank you? Well, I'm thanking you not because of what you’ve taken away from me, but because of what you have given me -- hope. Hope that there are better days to come, and another life in heaven to come as well!

“Hope. It is the only thing stronger than fear.” These words are so true.

So, finally, dear cancer…

Do you see it know? You’ve failed. Yes, you may have taken some of those dearest to us and you may have devastated many of us for a time -- but we always manage to come back to a better place. You have united us against you and reminded us about all the joys of this gift we call life. It’s beautiful, but it’s not what you intended to do, is it? So, it looks like we're winning, doesn't it?

Sorry to break it to you, cancer, but…

You’ve already lost.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

44083
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

27737
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

952537
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

150911
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments