One more post on the power of words and a look at how we tell our cancer story. Telling our individual cancer story is good and bad.
It is GOOD when we need the love and support of others, when we allow ourselves to become vulnerable and open to receiving help and support and sympathy. Telling our story can be therapeutic. It is also good when our story may be of help to others.
It is BAD if we get stuck in the story. To ourselves our story is intensely interesting but not necessarily to others. If we catch ourselves telling about our experience with cancer--over and over-- in the same way--with the same words--we are stuck in our story. And it is so easy to do! We may move into this habit without realizing it.
I was shocked to discover I was stuck in my story at the Beauty Parlor. When someone commented that my hair looked nice (as ladies do at Beauty Parlors) I would launch into my cancer story--how I recently had NO hair--what it was like to lose it all with cancer. Then on and on through my whole story. No matter that the eyes of the listeners were glazed over. No matter that these ladies were complete strangers, I told my story.
This happened several times before I realized--I was stuck in my story. Have any of you had a similar experience?
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