When Bad Things Happen

   A few weeks ago the lesson taught at the women's group at church (also known as Relief Society) was on enduring to the end. Enduring to the end is a big thing in just about any Christian faith (that I know of). Maybe even the non-Christian faiths too, but I don't know enough to make that kind of statement. Depending on what faith you practice the bad things that happen to everyone have several causes. They are seen as punishment for sin,a way that the higher power teaches something or a test to name a few.
   It was a good lesson and I enjoyed it. It has stayed in the back of my head ever since. I think this is because of my friend, Sarah. Sarah's doctor found a lump during an annual physical exam. Upon further testing it was diagnosed as a sarcoma. This is a type of cancer that originates from muscle, fat or cartilage as opposed to the cells found in places like lungs,breast or colon. The type of cell is different. Sarcomas are rare. I'm not sure what causes them, but I do know that people who have had radiation treatments are at risk.
  Sarah is one of the most amazing people I know. Her life has not been easy. As a teenager she was diagnosed with lymphoma (I think it was Hodgkin's, but I'm not sure.) It is possible that the radiation she had then made her vulnerable to the sarcoma she has now. When she got her diagnosis the first thing she did was some research. She also asked the opinion of some of her coworkers. (She works in a hospital.) She found several places where she could be treated. There was one close to where she lives so they (she and her doctor) started the paperwork for her to be treated there. There was one problem. This place did not accept her insurance. Most people would have found that discouraging, but not Sarah. In the process of doing her research she found that one of the major centers for sarcoma treatment was about three hours away. She had not considered it as she wanted to be closer to home. She checked and they take her insurance. What seemed to be a roadblock wasn't one after all. True, she and her husband will have to travel farther, but she will get better treatment where she is going. She'll also be around others who are fighting the disease and there may even be a family support group for her husband.
  That's Sarah. Put a puddle in her way and she'll jump across it, build a bridge over it or just wade in. I'm sure there are times that she gets discouraged. I also know that she is somehow able to handle it and to keep on going.
  Sometimes I think part of the reason why something bad happens to you is because later on you will need the lesson you learn. Sometimes the bad things help make you who you are. If Sarah had not had the earlier fight with lymphoma how would she have handled this? She one of the most caring and compassionate people I know. I'm sure a good hunk of it is because that's just the way she is, but some of it may be due to challenges she has faced in her life.
  I have pondered the thought off and on for a few years now. (Yes, sometimes I ponder.) Would I be the person I am now if I had sailed through my life with no serious challenges? I don't think so. While I did not enjoy the bullying I experienced during my teenage years, I did learn a few things. I learned that I can control how I react and that the bullies cannot decide who I am and what kind of future I will have. I learned to be stubborn (in a good way). These were all things I needed later on. Pharmacy school was hard. If I hadn't learned persistence at an early age maybe I would have given up and quit. If I hadn't decided when I was younger that no one would tell me who I am,my life would have been much different. Maybe I wouldn't even be alive right now.
   I believe that when bad things happen you have a choice. You can't control what other people do, You can't control what Mother Nature does. How you handle it is entirely up to you. You can choose how to act or react. You can feel sorry for yourself, point fingers,do whatever you want. You can also make the best of it, learn from it and use the experience for good. Challenges will come. Bad things will happen. To me the key is not focusing on what you can't change or control. It is focusing on what you can.