Before and after

One of the absolute truths about cancer is the demarcation it creates in your life.

The list of life-altering events by which most of us track our days is small. Graduation from high school or college, marriage, jobs, home purchases are among the things that cause us to think in "before and after" terms, some to greater degree than others.

For me, a cancer diagnosis is at the top of the list. Once it occurs, everything that follows is touched by it in some way, and even events that preceded the diagnosis are viewed differently in hindsight.

The weird thing, though, is that the changes wrought by cancer are not all bad. I have written before about the filter cancer has put on my perspective, helping me to see more clearly what is important and precious in my life. As my health and routines return to normal, I am able to see great wonder and beauty in what I might previously have taken for granted.

As I consider this unexpected blessing, my prayer is to live in a way that helps those I encounter see through the cancer filter without having to endure cancer themselves. How should I treat others, how can I best use my time and talents, if the preciousness of my life remains in clearer focus? It's a question I never want to forget to keep asking myself.