Walls With A Message In A Season Of Hope

FOLLOW ME down this long corridor at the Vancouver Cancer Clinic. Does it remind you (the way it does me) of "the tunnel" with a light at the end that some folks speak about after experiencing near death?

A recent visit there with my husband who was getting a PET scan to shed light on his non-life-threatening condition brought back memories of when I drove my sister to the clinic for chemotherapy.

My sister was strong, resilient and optimistic. Her zest for living, adventurous spirit and curiosity were attributes that likely helped extend her life for years. But she eventually succumbed ... as did our eldest equally strong and resilient sister who passed away earlier, also as a consequence of cancer.

My thoughts were inevitably on health challenges and the struggle to keep hope alive as I walked down the hallway and glanced at the walls lined with heartfelt expressions from patients, their families and healthcare providers.

The Revlon Arts In Medicine Tile Tales Project believes that the arts can act as a bridge to healing. Each tile in the collection has something poignant to say. In Overcoming Adversity (above) a patient in despair gets relief from her fears by envisioning a bright, thick carpet of brilliant hope rolled out beneath her.

Music, or any intense interest, is as uplifting as an imaginary carpet ride. In Discover Your Passion (above) I gravitated to words by Marshall who wrote, “It is never too late, it is never too early, to discover your passion, to sing your own song, to follow your bliss and to come to rest within your being.”

In the Hand Of Hope tile, Rosey speaks through vivid colors. “The yellow is for healing that flows through my wedding band," she explains. "My hand is reaching out to all our futures.”

Some live on through their works. Russell Kelly died in 1997 at the age of 48. His career included hosting a CBC radio show. Among his accomplishments he campaigned to end violence against women and helped raise funds for a shelter for women in Vancouver. Looking at his many photographs and writings lining one side of the corridor wall, I was struck by his wonderment in the face of a dangerous illness. In Eternal Whisperings (above) he writes in part, "... despite cancer, serenity feeds my soul."

Kelly also writes, “Disasters and tragedy plague the best of humanity. Bad things happen to good people. Yet even suffering may yield ultimate good. Ordinary people – often with the aid of compassionate fellow-sufferers transcend their limitations, grow through sorrow, and begin life again.”

Creative messages on clinic walls inspire hope that (when combined with timely and competent medical care) can lead to recovery. But even this may not be enough when modern lifestyles conspire against us.

Interestingly, the search to cure cancer has generated one of the most successful fundraising operations in decades. Yet, by the looks of the packed clinic, more and more people are getting the disease. I was shocked to learn an estimated 75,500 deaths from cancer are expected to occur in Canada in 2013. Has anyone NOT been effected by this disease in some way? I suspect such high numbers are due to cancer-causing agents being woven into the fabric of the products we use every day and in the very air that we breathe. If that is true should not investigating and cleaning up the hazards be as essential as the hunt to cure something that could have been prevented?

Since this is being written during the Christmas season that she loved most, I dedicate this post to my brave sister Alla (photo, 2005) seen here with me. She suffered greatly before reaching the light but she also lived a passionate, fulfilling and hopeful life.

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Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms