A Fellow Cancer Survivor Gives Me a Useful Message

Laura Yeager is a two-time breast cancer survivor. Catch up on all of Laura's blogs here!

I ran into a fellow cancer survivor at the bagel store. It was a joy to see Colleen. She’d made it through three bouts of cancer, and I’d made it through two. She asked me how I was feeling, and I told her “I’m doing well.”

She replied, “One day at a time.” This is a phrase that I could hear over and over.

I have to admit that I don’t always adhere to this philosophy, but I should. One day at a time. After all, isn’t that enough?

We agreed that we would start walking in the neighborhood. This would be good for both of us. Our shared cancer experience is not understood by everyone. She’s someone that I can truly open up with.

I know this woman from kindergarten. We had the same teacher, and after kindergarten, she transferred to the Catholic school in town. But we’d always maintained a friendship.

That night, I got a call from my best friend, Carol, who’d just lost her mentor to cancer. She was broken up, as he had passed unexpectedly. I was at a loss for words in an attempt to comfort her. Then, the words of my neighbor, Colleen, washed over me.

“One day at a time,” I said.

My best friend repeated my words. “One day at a time.” The words seemed to make an impression on her. She told me more bad news. Her younger sister had stage 1 lung cancer and had to be operated on.

Cancer was all around me. I couldn’t get away from it. All I could say was “One day at a time.”

This comforted us.

“Are you tired?” I asked her.

“Very. It’s past my bedtime. I haven’t eaten.”

“Have some food and go to bed,” I said.

Sometimes, it was that easy.

“I’m sure that will help. And I will take it one day at a time.”

“I’m glad.”

Colleen’s words were powerful. They had comforted me and now Carol. I hope they comfort you.

Cancer makes it difficult to see into the future. We might not be able to take it month by month or year by year, but we can do it day by day. Who knows? Maybe you’re going hour by hour.

Hang in there. You’re not alone.

And as for walking around the neighborhood with Colleen, I’ll think I’ll make a habit of that.

Walking is something that I don’t like to do by myself. I find it kind of boring, but when I have someone to chat with as I walk, I can go for miles.

That was a lucky encounter when I saw Colleen in the bagel store. She was a gift from the universe, giving me a message that I needed right then. And I was glad I could pass the message onto Carol and now to you, the reader.

Messages from the universe come to me in various ways. Sometimes, I hear them on the radio; sometimes, I get an intuitive sense of something; but usually, the message is conveyed by another person speaking to me. Colleen hadn’t known that her “day by day” communication would go as far as it did, but I was spreading it like wildfire. It was a good message. And people needed to hear it.

These are bad times. Cancer only makes them worse.

Day by day; that’s all we can do.

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