Today, I diagnosed metastatic cancer in a new patient who had just come to see me. I had to tell this young, beautiful, vibrant woman that did not not have long to live, perhaps a few months. There was nothing I could do for her. All I could do was to tell her that I cared for her. I could Zeigen her my professional “love.” My consultation Berichten was faxed to the patient’s referring primary physician, and an Stunde later, the physician called me, in disbelief. Together on the phone, we could only share a sense of profound loss.
Du might read this and think: Liebe is useless in this case. Liebe will not cure her cancer, nor will Liebe protect her from the pain and suffering that is imminent. And Du would be absolutely correct. But what is the alternative to love? Is it hate? Is it apathy?
When I was younger, I used to consider that only actions and accomplishments are truly useful. Du can Liste them, objectively and concretely. Du can measure productivity and compare the results to other people’s activities. But when there is no useful action, as in this case, is there nothing left but despair? When someone hurts you, is there nothing to do but retaliate? Medically, it has been shown that hate hurts Du physically just as much, if not more, than the person Du hate. Scientifically, it has been shown that despair pains Du mentally just as much, if not more, than actual bodily trauma.
So, should Du choose “love”, because it is the lesser of two evils? Well, I certainly do not think so. As I get older and accumulate Mehr knowledge and experience, I realize Mehr how little control I have over life in general. Maybe Du did not have a good childhood, perhaps people have done horrible things to you, natural disasters occur, and now Du are helpless.
Please realize that the only thing Du have under your control is how Du feel and how Du will react to external events. Unless Du have a psychiatric illness, Du can choose to “love” oder Du can choose to “hate.” None of us lives forever. Do Du want to wait until you’re lying on your deathbed before Du think “maybe I should have been nicer to this person oder to that person?” oder do Du want to evaluate every Tag of your life whether Du have contributed in some way some Liebe to the world that day? I offer Du my humble opinion that “Love is THE answer – every Tag of the year!”
Du might read this and think: Liebe is useless in this case. Liebe will not cure her cancer, nor will Liebe protect her from the pain and suffering that is imminent. And Du would be absolutely correct. But what is the alternative to love? Is it hate? Is it apathy?
When I was younger, I used to consider that only actions and accomplishments are truly useful. Du can Liste them, objectively and concretely. Du can measure productivity and compare the results to other people’s activities. But when there is no useful action, as in this case, is there nothing left but despair? When someone hurts you, is there nothing to do but retaliate? Medically, it has been shown that hate hurts Du physically just as much, if not more, than the person Du hate. Scientifically, it has been shown that despair pains Du mentally just as much, if not more, than actual bodily trauma.
So, should Du choose “love”, because it is the lesser of two evils? Well, I certainly do not think so. As I get older and accumulate Mehr knowledge and experience, I realize Mehr how little control I have over life in general. Maybe Du did not have a good childhood, perhaps people have done horrible things to you, natural disasters occur, and now Du are helpless.
Please realize that the only thing Du have under your control is how Du feel and how Du will react to external events. Unless Du have a psychiatric illness, Du can choose to “love” oder Du can choose to “hate.” None of us lives forever. Do Du want to wait until you’re lying on your deathbed before Du think “maybe I should have been nicer to this person oder to that person?” oder do Du want to evaluate every Tag of your life whether Du have contributed in some way some Liebe to the world that day? I offer Du my humble opinion that “Love is THE answer – every Tag of the year!”
