What’s The Point?

“What’s the point?”

Someone asked me this today. They wanted to know why, with all the time I have to myself during the day, I don’t do anything productive. Why don’t I tweet anything? Why don’t I practice my piano? Why, why, why? Oh and then “what’s the point?”

Are they trying to say what’s the point of me still living then? Is my life worth nothing unless I’m doing something productive?

They are not sitting in my shoes. They don’t have to deal with the sickness, pain, treatments, procedures, and setbacks that a person with cancer has to. I’ve been honest about my lack of direction, my bouts with depression, struggles with faith, and how I’m without a roadmap when it comes to what I’m supposed to do now. I’ve also been very vocal about the issues I’m having which keep me mostly chair-bound. But I guess I’m still supposed to accomplish so much while stuck in this chair during the day.

I was given a list of all these things that I could be doing instead of nothing. Sorry to the person that thought this conversation with me was going to be productive or even motivating because they obviously don’t understand how depression works, how setbacks discourage, and how I still don’t know what my purpose is to be now that I have cancer. I have good days and I have bad days. I don’t know which it’s going to be when I wake up everyday. I’m just thankful to be alive.

I will say this though. My mom was going through her cancer battle while I worked at the American Cancer Society. I couldn’t understand why she didn’t advocate for a cure, why she wasn’t talking about it to others like some of the survivors I knew in fundraising. In fact, her best friend didn’t even know she had it. I thought for sure she would be a fighter as far as finding a cure but she wasn’t. She didn’t do much of anything day in and day out. Pretty much do her treatments, surf the internet, spend time with family, and sleep. Now that I’m the one with cancer, I’m really not that far off in doing what she was doing.

What is so wrong with resting and taking care of myself during the day? Why do I have to have some grand masterpiece that shows I’ve been productive for the day? And what constitutes being productive? Who gets to decide what I, a cancer patient undergoing treatment, should do with my time all day? Cause really, what’s the point? I could spend my last 6 months watching tv or putting all my energy into taking a class, but one of these things will relax me while the other will likely cause unnecessary stress.

I think it’s really simple. When God calls on me to do something more, than I’ll do more but for now, let me have my rest.