I am also uncomfortable with the notion that enduring pain and suffering means you must be inherently strong. I hear this from friends all the time ... you are so strong. You are a warrior. I always think. I don't really have a choice and there is no alternative. Does that make me strong? Not really. It makes me unlucky and then makes me feel guilty if I should complain or seek support. I do sometimes think I'm ready for a break as if I have a choice. Because in the past, any significant suffering I experienced was usually self-imposed or brought on by my overcomitting myself and walking through life in a haze of fatigue and stress. My current pain and fatigue is not my doing and I can't just walk away from it or clear my schedule to get some relief. so enduring it, is no longer a choice or a virtue. There simply is no alternative. When looking through social media this morning it also occurs to me that the warrior metaphor is as much for the user as it is for the cancer patient. It allows them to view their friend or loved one in a state of power or as having some control of their situation rather than suffering or destined for a bad outcome.
Thank you for this venue to share thoughts and experiences.
I am also uncomfortable with the notion that enduring pain and suffering means you must be inherently strong. I hear this from friends all the time ... you are so strong. You are a warrior. I always think. I don't really have a choice and there is no alternative. Does that make me strong? Not really. It makes me unlucky and then makes me feel guilty if I should complain or seek support. I do sometimes think I'm ready for a break as if I have a choice. Because in the past, any significant suffering I experienced was usually self-imposed or brought on by my overcomitting myself and walking through life in a haze of fatigue and stress. My current pain and fatigue is not my doing and I can't just walk away from it or clear my schedule to get some relief. so enduring it, is no longer a choice or a virtue. There simply is no alternative. When looking through social media this morning it also occurs to me that the warrior metaphor is as much for the user as it is for the cancer patient. It allows them to view their friend or loved one in a state of power or as having some control of their situation rather than suffering or destined for a bad outcome.
Thank you for this venue to share thoughts and experiences.