Curtain Call: Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. We don’t know how many tomorrows we’ve got!
I wonder what you’d do differently if you knew you only had months to live? It’s a sobering thought that became a reality to me in April this year. I’ve been on a cancer journey for nearly two years since discovering I had acral lentiginous melanoma, an aggressive type of skin cancer, that had started as a small mark on the sole of my foot.
Hospital visits, various operations and doses of immunotherapy have occupied most of my time since. I’d been doing well since my last surgery, so I was rocked when visiting my oncologist to be told that nothing had really worked. The cancer had spread into my stomach, liver, spine and brain and the likelihood was that I had just five months to live.
Being given a date for one’s sleep is a wake-up call, to put it mildly. For the first few days, I’m not ashamed to say the tears fell as the reality sank in. They still do sometimes. But I decided I don’t want to spend my last five months crying and being sad. I want to have a summer of joy and to hold my family close.
Two things have helped me: reprioritising and gratitude.
This bombshell forced me to reorganise and reprioritise and for that I’m grateful. I’ve laughed and spent time with people who bring me joy. I’ve watched more comedies on TV and less news and current affairs. The Bible says, “A merry heart will do you good, like medicine.” I certainly feel better for it. I’m pretty sure no-one on their death bed ever wishes they’d watched more of the ten o’clock news.
I’ve realised what matters, and what doesn’t. Maybe we should all live our lives as if we only had five months to live. Life is a daring adventure, so make the most of it.
Crack on with the project you’ve always wanted to do, the places you’ve dreamed of going, the book you’ve wanted to write. And above all, make sure the people you love know it.
Life is precious and I’m thankful for every day I wake up. In the end we are all terminal, it’s only I’ve been given a date, which is a bittersweet gift. Gratitude is a key to happiness. I count my blessings each morning and thank God for them. Funny that now, when it would be so easy to focus on all that is wrong, it’s becoming easier to spot what is right.
So stay alert to the good in your life. Whatever it throws at you, you probably have hundreds of things to be grateful for. At the very least, pick one. It will make you smile.
PS: They said five months, but I’m praying for more. If you’re reading this and I’m still here, then I’m already beating the odds.
Digital Editor’s Note: Steve Legg talks about life, terminal cancer and hope with Gareth Cottrell over at Konnect Radio. You can listen to their honest and emotional conversation by clicking here.
Main Photo Credit: Rose Erkul via Unsplash
Sorted Magazine’s Founder and CEO Steve Legg: “They said five months, but I’m praying for more.”
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Curtain Call: Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. We don’t know how many tomorrows we’ve got!
I wonder what you’d do differently if you knew you only had months to live? It’s a sobering thought that became a reality to me in April this year. I’ve been on a cancer journey for nearly two years since discovering I had acral lentiginous melanoma, an aggressive type of skin cancer, that had started as a small mark on the sole of my foot.
Hospital visits, various operations and doses of immunotherapy have occupied most of my time since. I’d been doing well since my last surgery, so I was rocked when visiting my oncologist to be told that nothing had really worked. The cancer had spread into my stomach, liver, spine and brain and the likelihood was that I had just five months to live.
Being given a date for one’s sleep is a wake-up call, to put it mildly. For the first few days, I’m not ashamed to say the tears fell as the reality sank in. They still do sometimes. But I decided I don’t want to spend my last five months crying and being sad. I want to have a summer of joy and to hold my family close.
Two things have helped me: reprioritising and gratitude.
This bombshell forced me to reorganise and reprioritise and for that I’m grateful. I’ve laughed and spent time with people who bring me joy. I’ve watched more comedies on TV and less news and current affairs. The Bible says, “A merry heart will do you good, like medicine.” I certainly feel better for it. I’m pretty sure no-one on their death bed ever wishes they’d watched more of the ten o’clock news.
I’ve realised what matters, and what doesn’t. Maybe we should all live our lives as if we only had five months to live. Life is a daring adventure, so make the most of it.
Crack on with the project you’ve always wanted to do, the places you’ve dreamed of going, the book you’ve wanted to write. And above all, make sure the people you love know it.
Life is precious and I’m thankful for every day I wake up. In the end we are all terminal, it’s only I’ve been given a date, which is a bittersweet gift. Gratitude is a key to happiness. I count my blessings each morning and thank God for them. Funny that now, when it would be so easy to focus on all that is wrong, it’s becoming easier to spot what is right.
So stay alert to the good in your life. Whatever it throws at you, you probably have hundreds of things to be grateful for. At the very least, pick one. It will make you smile.
PS: They said five months, but I’m praying for more. If you’re reading this and I’m still here, then I’m already beating the odds.
Digital Editor’s Note: Steve Legg talks about life, terminal cancer and hope with Gareth Cottrell over at Konnect Radio. You can listen to their honest and emotional conversation by clicking here.
Main Photo Credit: Rose Erkul via Unsplash
Steve Legg
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