Predictably, when first one receives an (unthinkable) cancer diagnosis or really any horrendous news, the initial reaction invariably is “Why me?” Doom-filled thoughts and emotions might crowd the mind and take over one’s life. One might feel wronged and singled out and sorry for oneself. It might seem as if life has turned against you and picked you as the victim of its worst caprice.
Eventually, the passage of time tends to lend perspective. For every seemingly fortunate person, it seems there are as many that are afflicted with terrible misfortune. While one’s own tragedy never diminishes, the misfortune of others can sometimes be recognized as truly catastrophic.
While a few happy people might live relatively carefree lives seemingly untouched by calamity, most of us will have it better than some and worse than others. That’s why the anguished and plaintive “Why me?” must logically be followed by the saner and more rational “Why not me?”
Ranjana Smetacek
About Hemant Rustogi