Fr. Don's Daily Reflection - April 29, 2024
Psalm 62: “In you alone is my soul at rest. My help comes from you.”
What can illness teach? Patience. Or, at least it can if we’re open to learning from such an experience. A young man who had surgery for a cancerous brain tumor says that after his first surgery (with his scalp partly shaved) he went to the college library; a few friends greeted him warmly, but: “Most of my acquaintances in the room quickly turned and hid behind their computers acting as if they hadn't even seen me. Hiding was a reaction I received a lot over the year (of treatment), but I have to say that I was initially quite shocked by this.”
Shocked and probably hurt. Along with the pain and distress of cancer, you hardly need to have friends seem to turn from you. He found his male friends singularly unable to deal with his cancer. Visits from them were few and far between. Men seem more afraid of illness than women. Or they are afraid it could be them next. “Maybe if I avoid the sick person I can avoid anything similar.” They're worried about what to say, not realizing that just the presence of a familiar face, the touch of a hand, would be welcome.
The same fellow records how pleasing it was when a couple of male friends did stop by: “We talked about movies, basketball, the weather and their lives rather than mine. It was so refreshing to hear about life outside of my dark little world.”
Psalm 27: “I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness / in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong; / be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord!”
