Merry Christmas

Over the last couple of days, I was thinking about what I wanted to write today. And as I planned it out in my head, I noticed that it sounded familiar.

I checked what I wrote last year on Christmas, and it turned out, the message I was planning was pretty much what I wrote last year.

It was a wish for peace.


Today is Christmas, celebrated by much of the world (including me). And a traditional Christmas sentiment is "Peace on Earth." I'm going to wish for it again this year.

Last year, my wish was that all of us with cancer would have a little bit of peace for the day, and maybe pass that peace on to others we meet. Inner peace.

This year, I think I want peace beyond that. Outer peace.

It seems like we're living in a very divided world. People don't listen to the people who don't agree with them. Disagreement boils over into outright hatred. Last year was tough on a lot of people (whether or not they have cancer). Some days, I feel like the next year isn't going to be much better.

So my wish again is for peace.


Be patient. Be kind. Listen. Try to really understand one another. We all hurt in some way. Respect that in one another. Know that we all want the same things -- a healthy body, a job that gives us some dignity, to love and be loved. We might think differently about the way to get those things. But we all want them.

I don't know if I can connect this to cancer. Hatred is a cancer that spreads too easily? The outer turmoil of the world reflects our inner turmoil? We should listen to others the way we carefully watch and wait? I don't know. All of this goes beyond cancer.

So Peace to you all. Inner and Outer. Enjoy the day (whether you are celebrating Christmas, Chanukah, or just another day being alive), and stay healthy.

-- Bob