When Grief Acts As a Catalyst
Sometimes your darkest moments can inspire you
I wish I could forget the day I found out my brother had colon cancer.
I was working as a writer at a place I was slowly beginning to despise.
My father called. He rarely does. We had no plans of seeing each other that day and he knew I was at work.
That’s how I knew something was wrong.
“It was cancerous.”
I felt a pit in my stomach.
I wasn’t surprised. I had already known.
The moment I heard that my brother had growth in his colon and there was a chance it could be cancerous, I knew it would be.
I had felt it in my gut.
So, this call from my father wasn’t exactly a surprise but, it changed everything.
I called my brothers more. I spent time with my family as often as I could. I thought about the trajectory of my life constantly.
And, I finally decided I would quit that job.
My brother got better. He beat cancer.
Things went back to normal but, they’ll never be the same.
This was years ago.
But I often cry about it.
Every time I hear of a sibling with cancer I am propelled back to this moment.
This moment was a catalyst in my life that pushed me to stop settling.
It was a blessing in disguise that I’m not sure I would want again.