To Be Hopeful in Bad Times

AceSFO
AceSFO Member Posts: 229
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I came across this quote by the late Howard Zinn, and although taken out of context (and slightly paraphrased) it seemed apt for what we're all going through on this cancer journey.

“To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. - The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is in itself a marvelous victory.”

Comments

  • carriek05
    carriek05 Member Posts: 7
    #2
    the quote
    Hi! My name is Carrie (wife of Kapper48). I don't post a whole lot here, I just read everyone's posts throughout the day. I've seen you on here alot and enjoy reading your thoughts on everything. I too am a caregiver and felt particulary "connected" when you posted the analogy about losing your brakes in San Fransisco. I have been feeling that exact same way lately. Since the beginning of January, it seems things just keep going down hill with regards to Pat's health. It's scary and I'm at a loss.
    I just wanted to introduce myself and tell you that I really liked this quote very much - dealing with watching the person you love suffer through the pain of cancer and knowing there is nothing you can do to help them is very heartbreaking. I suppose, other than taking the best care of our loved ones the best possible way we know how, the only thing we can do is hope, hope and hope some more.
    Talk to you later
    Carrie
  • amcp
    amcp Member Posts: 251 Member
    #3
    HOPE
    REALLY LIKED YOUR QUOTE. HOPE IS WHAT GETS US THROUGH THE GOOD AND ESPECIALLY THE BAD DAYS. SOME DAYS ALL WE CAN DO IS HOPE THAT TOMORROW WILL BE BETTER. I ALWAYS ENJOY YOUR COMMENTS AND APPRECIATE YOUR THOUGHTFULNESS. CAREGIVERS ARE ON THIS JOURNEY WITH THEIR CANCER PARTNER AND NEED HOPE TO KEEP ON KEEPING ON. HOPE IS LIKE A RAY OF SUNSHINE THAT BRIGHTENS A DREARY CLOUDY DAY. ALWAYS HANGING ON TO THE ROPE OF HOPE!!
    HUGS,
    ANNA
  • lcarper2
    lcarper2 Member Posts: 635 Member
    #4
    amcp said:

    HOPE
    REALLY LIKED YOUR QUOTE. HOPE IS WHAT GETS US THROUGH THE GOOD AND ESPECIALLY THE BAD DAYS. SOME DAYS ALL WE CAN DO IS HOPE THAT TOMORROW WILL BE BETTER. I ALWAYS ENJOY YOUR COMMENTS AND APPRECIATE YOUR THOUGHTFULNESS. CAREGIVERS ARE ON THIS JOURNEY WITH THEIR CANCER PARTNER AND NEED HOPE TO KEEP ON KEEPING ON. HOPE IS LIKE A RAY OF SUNSHINE THAT BRIGHTENS A DREARY CLOUDY DAY. ALWAYS HANGING ON TO THE ROPE OF HOPE!!
    HUGS,
    ANNA

    Hope
    I feel sorry for my care giver (husband) it is as hard on him them as it is on me. They are on the side lines and feel like they are not doing enough for us when in reality they are doing every thing they can for us. I tell him all the time your just being here is worth a million dollars. We can't make this journey alone we need someone to hold us and tell us it is going to be alright. Even if deep down inside you don't believe that we need to here you say it is going to be alright...just hold our hands when we are crying in pain and wipe our brow when we can't get up out of bed because the pain is so over powering. I try to do all I can for him on my good days bake his favorite cookies or brownies. I make surger free fudge that is to die for because I am a diabetic and people order it way up into October to have it mailed to them. This year I made and mailed 60 lbs of sugar free candy and I took that money and bought him a new recliner chair for Christmas the 1st time ever I supprised him....I put a big bow on it and a sign that said THANKS FOR BEING HERE...he cried with joy...I am saying this to say care givers are very important to us and we should never let them forget that.

    Louann
  • Buzzard
    Buzzard Member Posts: 3,043 Member
    #5
    lcarper2 said:

    Hope
    I feel sorry for my care giver (husband) it is as hard on him them as it is on me. They are on the side lines and feel like they are not doing enough for us when in reality they are doing every thing they can for us. I tell him all the time your just being here is worth a million dollars. We can't make this journey alone we need someone to hold us and tell us it is going to be alright. Even if deep down inside you don't believe that we need to here you say it is going to be alright...just hold our hands when we are crying in pain and wipe our brow when we can't get up out of bed because the pain is so over powering. I try to do all I can for him on my good days bake his favorite cookies or brownies. I make surger free fudge that is to die for because I am a diabetic and people order it way up into October to have it mailed to them. This year I made and mailed 60 lbs of sugar free candy and I took that money and bought him a new recliner chair for Christmas the 1st time ever I supprised him....I put a big bow on it and a sign that said THANKS FOR BEING HERE...he cried with joy...I am saying this to say care givers are very important to us and we should never let them forget that.

    Louann

    Beautiful Quote Adrian......
    and is very fitting for all of us................and Carrie, I am very sure that Pat feels the same as I and any other cancer patient in here.....I myself am glad that it was me instead of anyone else in my family. I know that I can handle it either way it goes. It is harder I think for the caregiver but you have to know that we need the love and affection that all of you bring to us...Without it there would be no reason to go through what we do ...As we go through this we figure out where our real life is at and also the things we thought weren't near as important as we thought they were. I think we actually come into the reality that we are mortal, and I am now ok with knowing that someday I will die. I just think we get that reality check earlier than most do, but its ok, we learn to deal with it...Caregivers are a God send to cancer patients...
    As Adrian is with John, Tina is with George, You are with Pat, the list goes on and on. Sorry to ramble, the quote was awesome Adrian, thank you very much sharing it with us.....Love and Hope to all, Clift
  • Crow71
    Crow71 Member Posts: 679 Member
    #6
    Thanks for sharing this
    Thanks for sharing this quote Adrian. I think Zinn would love it that you used it here. I read this earlier today and it really helped me refocus on the present and not get mired down. My daughter asked me to sing her a song tonight when I tucked her in. For the first time in a long time I said yes and sang her to sleep. It was a "marvelous victory." Thanks for helping me get there.
    Roger
  • karguy
    karguy Member Posts: 1,020 Member
    #7
    Quote
    I think it was a wonderful quote.How could we cope with the cancer,and all that comes with it with out our caregivers.They are a godsend.I thank all of you for being there.We need to hang on to any ray of hope.Thank you.
  • kimby
    kimby Member Posts: 797
    #8
    quote
    Love it! What a wonderful quote. I collect quotes. My current favorite is:

    "Comedy is the main weapon we have against "The Horror". With it we can strike a blow at death itself. Or, at least, poke a hole in the pretentious notion that there is something dignified about it."- John Callahan
  • Kathleen808
    Kathleen808 Member Posts: 2,342 Member
    #9
    Thanks
    Great quote Adrian. Thanks for sharing it with us.

    Aloha,
    Kathleen
  • lesvanb
    lesvanb Member Posts: 905
    #10
    Thanks Adrian
    I posted this at work. Very helpful, especially right now with all that's going on.

    Love, Leslie
  • rthornton
    rthornton Member Posts: 346 Member
    #11
    Howard Zinn
    What a big surprise to see Howard Zinn quoted on this forum! I've always liked him and even met him after he presented a lecture in Atlanta. There is a certain undeniable wisdom in the quote itself. Thank you for including it!
  • eric38
    eric38 Member Posts: 583
    #12
    rthornton said:

    Howard Zinn
    What a big surprise to see Howard Zinn quoted on this forum! I've always liked him and even met him after he presented a lecture in Atlanta. There is a certain undeniable wisdom in the quote itself. Thank you for including it!

    Great quote - Adrian.I
    Great quote - Adrian.
    I think it would be much harder to watch a loved one go through it than go through it yourself. I can see how hard it would be for the care taker and I am glad that if it had to happen to someone in my family, it was me. Not to sound arrogant, but I think out of the peole in my immediate family, I am the one best equipped to handle it. Although, if something happens to me the rest of my family will have to deal with that and that`s what saddens me the most. I`m at peace and enjoy every day that I`m alive, so I`m ok.

    Eric
  • Crow71
    Crow71 Member Posts: 679 Member
    #13
    eric38 said:

    Great quote - Adrian.I
    Great quote - Adrian.
    I think it would be much harder to watch a loved one go through it than go through it yourself. I can see how hard it would be for the care taker and I am glad that if it had to happen to someone in my family, it was me. Not to sound arrogant, but I think out of the peole in my immediate family, I am the one best equipped to handle it. Although, if something happens to me the rest of my family will have to deal with that and that`s what saddens me the most. I`m at peace and enjoy every day that I`m alive, so I`m ok.

    Eric

    Right on Eric!! I've had
    Right on Eric!! I've had the cosmic fear for years that something bad was going to happen in my family. If this disease had to come, I'm grateful that it came to me and not my kids. Watching my parents deal with what's happened to me helped me come to this realization. No matter what happens to me, this ends with me. That is the way I see it. That is my greatest source of strength, and my greatest hope.
    Roger

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