Helping My Cancer Stricken Sister
I knew that cancer didn't discriminate. I knew it didn't care if the person was old or young or if the person already had enough problems. I knew all of this, but I didn't know cancer had my sister's address. Recently, my baby sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. My entire life, I've always tried to identify the hardest thing about living. Because my sister has been diagnosed with cancer, I now know what the hardest thing about living is. The hardest thing about living is watching someone you love die. Still, it would be selfish of me just to sit back and watch her die. If cannot save her, but I will help her by being there.
Being there is the best thing that any of us can do when a friend or family member is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Being there means more than just offering a shoulder to cry on; being there is more about helping those you love walk when they can't walk themselves. Here is a list of ways in which I assist my sister.
My sister adores her four children so even when she is feeling her worst, she still wants them around. Her friends and I take turns shopping and preparing meals and snacks for her and her family. The only thing my oldest nephew has to do is heat the food, and the family has quick, homemade meals.
When my sister and her husband visit the doctor or when they want time alone, they know that my home is never locked to their children. My nieces and nephews receive more hugs and kisses than they actually want, but part of what I do to help my sister is to let her kids know that they are never alone. Quite often, my sister tells me that my love for her children is one of the things that helps sustain her.
Sometimes, I sit with my sister when she undergoes her chemo. We always said we would sit together in our old age, and we often laugh about this during her treatments. Sometimes we play games from our childhood, and other times, I simply hold her hand. When I'm out shopping, I'm constantly on the look out for books and movies that will make her laugh.
Surprisingly, most of the things that I do for my sister are things I've always done. I've always bought her gifts and helped her with her children. Even after having four kids, she still doesn't hesitate to call me when she has strep throat or an illness she has caught from one of my nieces and nephews. I've always been there for my sister, and that's the one thing that we can all do when our loved ones become seriously ill - we can continue to be there for them. Don't give up, and don't give in and run away. Be there.
