Some Of Us Survive, So We Can Truly Live

By Basia Alicia Powell

This morning I woke up to the sad news that my former high school mate, passed. She was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago and she really had a positive approach to living with breast cancer. Some may argue that she is fone too soon, as she enjoyed living and she was indeed a bright light. Today the world is missing one more bulb.

I am a 10 year breast cancer survivor. It is never easy for me to receive this type of news. I have witnessed the transition of many cancer patients, particularly those who were a part of my breast cancer network in Trinidad. In my earlier years, it was extremely difficult to understand.

As God in his own wisdom left me on this earth, after a cancer diagnosis, at times I have questioned their passing. I would later realized that I survived breast cancer because He wanted me to live. There are many people living ‘dead lives’ and they are afraid of dying. In some cases they are afraid of living. I am not one of them. I never ever take living for granted. It’s a privilege to be on this journey.

The reason we were all put on this earth is to live. Not just to live but to live our best lives. Not many of us are aware of this. It is ok to mourn the passing of a loved one, a friend or a relative, but it is not ok to stop living while we are alive. Ask yourself; “Are you happy with the life you are living?”

So many people are living dead lives, and that is just as sad as losing a loved one. The light is off in their lives. I am reminded today that you don’t have to have cancer to die. However, do not wait until you lose someone to cancer or you are diagnosed with a terminal disease, to start living!

We are put on this earth to live our best lives and to grab happiness by the hand everyday. In this life,we will all experience sadness. You can be a happy person and experience sadness, but it is very important that we choose to be happy daily. It’s a choice!

You never lose a loved one when they pass. You lose them when you forget to to make memories with them when they are living. My school mate Keisha who passed today, had the brightest smile. Even during her diagnosis she had a smile on her face that would light up a room. She always struck me as someone who loved life and never took it for granted.

One thing is for sure, we are all going to die. The sad thing is we don’t all live while our bodies are alive. When you are truly happy, you are truly living. When you feel unhappy daily, you are already dead. It’s ok to mourn the loss of someone who have transitioned, but it is more important to appreciate the time with those who are left behind.

Even if you are healthy, tomorrow is not promised. We live with the false sense of security that we have to be diagnosed with an illness to die. The key is to focus daily on living our best lives. Focus of maintaining happiness, and doing whatever puts a smile on your face.