Meaning of life?

MrsJP
MrsJP Member Posts: 157
What is the meaning of life...? I just can't seem to find a purpose. Cancer hurt me as a child and is trying to take away everything else as it attacks my child. I feel so helpless.

Comments

  • dorookie
    dorookie Member Posts: 1,731 Member
    I wish I had the answer
    I am not anyone special and I am sure others could write pages to answer that question, but right now I would say your purpose of life would be to be with your child. I do not know the circumstances of your situation, but you say cancer attacked you child, if that happened to me, my purpose would be to help my child in every way...I will pray for you and your family.....

    P.S. if you happen to find that answer to your question please let me know.

    God BLess
    HUGS
    Beth
  • luvmylife
    luvmylife Member Posts: 76
    Oh MrsJP,
    My thoughts and

    Oh MrsJP,
    My thoughts and prayers are with you and your child.

    God Bless you,

    Jan
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    Meaning of life?

    42

    Life has no meaning, we bring meaning to our own lives...
  • dorookie
    dorookie Member Posts: 1,731 Member
    PhillieG said:

    Meaning of life?

    42

    Life has no meaning, we bring meaning to our own lives...
    Phil
    Very well said!!!!
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    dorookie said:

    Phil
    Very well said!!!!

    Joseph Campbell
    He said it, I can't take credit for it but I think he hit the nail on the head.
  • MrsJP
    MrsJP Member Posts: 157
    Thank you
    I think I just had a mini emotional attack. I found the heating pad is out and my son has been using his pain pills again.(He's home for the weekend). I am thinking too much about the what ifs..and things that are not in my control. We have an appointment at Sloan coming up and this is just getting to me. Waite and see stinks!
    Thanks for the prayers
    Love
    JP
  • Nana b
    Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
    MrsJP said:

    Thank you
    I think I just had a mini emotional attack. I found the heating pad is out and my son has been using his pain pills again.(He's home for the weekend). I am thinking too much about the what ifs..and things that are not in my control. We have an appointment at Sloan coming up and this is just getting to me. Waite and see stinks!
    Thanks for the prayers
    Love
    JP

    I think we with cancer have
    I think we with cancer have to find inner peace, accept what we can't change. Acceptance is hard, but what other choice do we have. We can only push for a cure and hope that it gets here soon. Seeing your child with those devastating eyes has to be harder then one coping with cancer.

    Hang in there Mom. Be strong. Hold him and pray, ask for prayers...

    Big Hug!
  • plh4gail
    plh4gail Member Posts: 1,238 Member
    Mrs JP
    A good friend of mine lost her child at age 3 to drowning. My friend was lost, guilt ridden, heart broken. Her little one was deaf and could hear muffles I think and feel vibrations. One of her favorite things to do was go to a movie especially Disney. She would dance and sing to the vibrations. Carrie took her when census was lower but if anyone told her to control her child Carrie told them whats up. The little girl was about to get some kind of implants to give her some hearing but didn't get that opportunity.

    Selfishly....I had a hard time with the death and would cry and not be able to understand why. It really was a freak accident that took her. Carries response has stayed with me and I use it often when I am down and think I am at the end of my road..that I don't feel like doing this game of life any longer.....when the same question comes to my mind...."what is the meaning of life"?

    Carrie told me the thing that helps her get by is believing we are all here "to teach a lesson and to learn a lesson. When that has been done you can go"........Carries little girl taught so many people many lessons and learned some too. So that is what I use to soothe my troubled mind on those days when it is restless with life. Between me and my 4 kids I think someone..or ones still has some lessons to learn or teach.

    Love and hugs, Gail
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    so hard
    I can only imagine how difficult it would be to watch your own child with cancer. I'm so sorry. But, that is obviously and understandably consuming you and not allowing you at the moment to see other good things in life.

    For me personally, the meaning of my life is to show the love of Jesus by how my attitude is, how I treat others, and by all my interactions with my family and others around me. I'm far from perfect, but I do try to live this way and I do pray for strength and ability to be this way, as I believe no one is able to do this on their own.
    I'm not trying to preach here, just sharing how I personally view the meaning of life.
    Life IS what you make it too, as others have already said- it's a choice of how to live, but sometimes when we are down, we just aren't able to make or follow through with that choice and we need help. Reaching out to others and joining a support group might be helpful to you- to interact with others who are going through the same or similar things. Or find a counselor just for you, at the very least- you are worth it and I think you need to do this. :)

    If it's alright with you, I will also be praying for you and for your son.

    Take care-
    Lisa
  • pepebcn
    pepebcn Member Posts: 6,331 Member
    PhillieG said:

    Meaning of life?

    42

    Life has no meaning, we bring meaning to our own lives...
    Good and wise answer Profesor Phillieg !.
    Hugs !.
  • BettyJoM
    BettyJoM Member Posts: 82
    MrsJP said:

    Thank you
    I think I just had a mini emotional attack. I found the heating pad is out and my son has been using his pain pills again.(He's home for the weekend). I am thinking too much about the what ifs..and things that are not in my control. We have an appointment at Sloan coming up and this is just getting to me. Waite and see stinks!
    Thanks for the prayers
    Love
    JP

    God Bless you
    You know when I first got cancer and learned how bad it was, I did the usual, cried, felt sorry for myself. Why me?
    I Lost my husband at 45 and I am so needed by my 2 daughters and my 6 grandkids and now I have cancer!! How unfair.
    Then a thought came to me, when any of the kids are really sick first thing I think is " I wish it was me instead of them" Its so hard to watch
    Well, this time it is me instead of them and I thank God all the time for that.
    It is as it should be.
    My heart goes out to you JP, you are living the worst nightmare I can think of.
    all I can say is try and stay strong for your son, you know if there is anything we on here can do, we will.
    Wait and see stinks big time
    Betty Jo
  • Lovekitties
    Lovekitties Member Posts: 3,364 Member
    Another take on it
    I just finished reading the recently published memoir by **** Van ****, funny man of fame for The **** Van **** Show, Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Diagnosis Murder...to name just a few.

    He lost two special people in his life to cancer (one to pancriatic cancer the other to lung cancer).

    Near the end of the book he does talk about the meaning of life. He says "...the Buddhists boiled it down to the essentials. They said you need three things in life: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for." He went on to say "Hope is life's esssential nutrient, and love is what gives life meaning...you need somebody to love and take care of, and someone who loves you back".

    For those of us here on the board, regardless of what else goes on in our lives, our something to do is to fight, our something to love is each other, and our something to hope for is a cure. We are very fortunate to have hope and love in abundance from each of our friends here.
  • MrsJP
    MrsJP Member Posts: 157

    Another take on it
    I just finished reading the recently published memoir by **** Van ****, funny man of fame for The **** Van **** Show, Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Diagnosis Murder...to name just a few.

    He lost two special people in his life to cancer (one to pancriatic cancer the other to lung cancer).

    Near the end of the book he does talk about the meaning of life. He says "...the Buddhists boiled it down to the essentials. They said you need three things in life: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for." He went on to say "Hope is life's esssential nutrient, and love is what gives life meaning...you need somebody to love and take care of, and someone who loves you back".

    For those of us here on the board, regardless of what else goes on in our lives, our something to do is to fight, our something to love is each other, and our something to hope for is a cure. We are very fortunate to have hope and love in abundance from each of our friends here.

    Thank you
    Its so nice and comforting to have this board to come to when you need to vent, have support and have the outside look, looking in. I had a hard hard weekend..But I have had so much input from this board that I think I can handle tomorrow..Please keep us in prayer..as I will you..
    Love
    JP
  • sharpy102
    sharpy102 Member Posts: 368 Member
    MrsJP said:

    Thank you
    Its so nice and comforting to have this board to come to when you need to vent, have support and have the outside look, looking in. I had a hard hard weekend..But I have had so much input from this board that I think I can handle tomorrow..Please keep us in prayer..as I will you..
    Love
    JP

    don't be sad
    Hey JP:

    I don't know you, and I don't think I've read too many posts from you (due to my ignorance of not coming online too often) but I want you to know that even though things are rough for you right now, and yes, quiet rightly you question the meaning of life and I can only imagine how horrible it must be that your son is sick...just be there! Show him that you love him and always will! Give him love, give him security that things have not came to a stop and never will. That no matter how he loses his friends because he cannot meet them, he'll never lose you! I cannot tell you the meaning of life as I'm searching for it myself on a daily basis. I'm sure it has, but I don't see it either (yet). If I find it; I'll let you know. But...I do know that people, even over a forum thread, can be very supportive of each other. I call this board MY FAMILY! I have days when I feel that I dug a deep hole to myself and cannot get out. I have days when I feel that there is no reason for me to be in this world...that no one wants me, that no one needs me. The world would spin the same way if I wasn't around...no one would notice that I left, no one would shed a tear for me, no one would think of me and remember me and say "back then when she was around...". And I get really really depressed and feel like running away and just go go and go and never ever stop anywhere. I don't know what I would do...I would probably end up robbing stores for food, and either get killed, or kill myself. But sometimes I get that feeling, so I understand your "outburst"...even though we don't share the same experiences. But then there's something, and I cannot tell what it is, but something deep down in my heart that says "Don't give up! Keep moving!" and therefore I stand up, dust myself off and continue my path. And try hard to look around and find people (I suck at that as I'm very shy girl- I know in this forum I don't seem to...but because these people grew close to me during my fight where I failed...). And I try to see the beauty of the nature...the different colors leaves can have on the trees...the bunnies hopping by, the flowers bloom. If I bike by a bush of roses I stop and smell each of them one by one and I tell them which one is very nice and have a nice fragrance and which one needs to catch up on their buddies. I talk to the ducks that cross my way. I don't hurry them, I don't chase them. I stop and just talk to them and tell them "don't worry! I won't hurt you! Take your time!" I have no people I can count on, but that's okay. I have way better than people! I have nature for me! With its trees, flowers, butterflies and other animals. I have the moon at night that greets me. And...and I have the stars...and the shiniest ones are my loved ones...they are there...watching over me ALL THE TIME! I have the whole universe! Please don't be too sad...I don't expect you to be happy all the time, I would lie if I said I'm happy all the time...but when you do get down (and that's NORMAL and understandable) think of all the beautiful things around you...they're all yours! They are all with you!
    Hugs,
    Sophie
  • pete43lost_at_sea
    pete43lost_at_sea Member Posts: 3,900 Member
    sharpy102 said:

    don't be sad
    Hey JP:

    I don't know you, and I don't think I've read too many posts from you (due to my ignorance of not coming online too often) but I want you to know that even though things are rough for you right now, and yes, quiet rightly you question the meaning of life and I can only imagine how horrible it must be that your son is sick...just be there! Show him that you love him and always will! Give him love, give him security that things have not came to a stop and never will. That no matter how he loses his friends because he cannot meet them, he'll never lose you! I cannot tell you the meaning of life as I'm searching for it myself on a daily basis. I'm sure it has, but I don't see it either (yet). If I find it; I'll let you know. But...I do know that people, even over a forum thread, can be very supportive of each other. I call this board MY FAMILY! I have days when I feel that I dug a deep hole to myself and cannot get out. I have days when I feel that there is no reason for me to be in this world...that no one wants me, that no one needs me. The world would spin the same way if I wasn't around...no one would notice that I left, no one would shed a tear for me, no one would think of me and remember me and say "back then when she was around...". And I get really really depressed and feel like running away and just go go and go and never ever stop anywhere. I don't know what I would do...I would probably end up robbing stores for food, and either get killed, or kill myself. But sometimes I get that feeling, so I understand your "outburst"...even though we don't share the same experiences. But then there's something, and I cannot tell what it is, but something deep down in my heart that says "Don't give up! Keep moving!" and therefore I stand up, dust myself off and continue my path. And try hard to look around and find people (I suck at that as I'm very shy girl- I know in this forum I don't seem to...but because these people grew close to me during my fight where I failed...). And I try to see the beauty of the nature...the different colors leaves can have on the trees...the bunnies hopping by, the flowers bloom. If I bike by a bush of roses I stop and smell each of them one by one and I tell them which one is very nice and have a nice fragrance and which one needs to catch up on their buddies. I talk to the ducks that cross my way. I don't hurry them, I don't chase them. I stop and just talk to them and tell them "don't worry! I won't hurt you! Take your time!" I have no people I can count on, but that's okay. I have way better than people! I have nature for me! With its trees, flowers, butterflies and other animals. I have the moon at night that greets me. And...and I have the stars...and the shiniest ones are my loved ones...they are there...watching over me ALL THE TIME! I have the whole universe! Please don't be too sad...I don't expect you to be happy all the time, I would lie if I said I'm happy all the time...but when you do get down (and that's NORMAL and understandable) think of all the beautiful things around you...they're all yours! They are all with you!
    Hugs,
    Sophie

    that beautiful sophie
    and everyones elses replies as well, thanks mrs jp for asking about meaning.

    for me its choices, to choose to love our fellow man,
    to choose to see the beauty around us in people, in nature.
    to smile when in agony,
    often the beauty is hidden and we have to look not just with our eyes but our heart.

    may i suggest the most meaninful gift you can give is the love of your child.

    may god bless you and all of us.

    love pete

    ps ironic i just finished reading a mans search for meaning.
  • Sonia32
    Sonia32 Member Posts: 1,071 Member
    Meaning of life?
    Hugs I'm so sorry for what your going through with your son.

    I have been asking that question for years, especially since 07 up to this year. When I lost my mum to cancer, lost myself, got cancer myself, then lost the person I was married to because he couldn't take my ill health.

    I think no matter what we are fighting, we are all still here for a reason. Whether it's to brighten the day of your next door neighbour (a rubbish analogy, but I hope you understand what I'm trying to say). To try and make others aware of colon cancer (which I try and do), just to support each other or maybe meet people who will change our lives for the better.

    Hugs please keep writing in here.