As we get closer to death, I’ve come to see something differently: maybe cancer isn’t a mistake, a curse, or something to be feared — maybe it’s a signal. A signal that the body, in its deep intelligence, is preparing to break down, to return to the cycle of nature from which it came.
But this brings up a deeper question:
Why are we, as humans, so determined to prevent such things?
The War Against Death
In modern culture, especially in the West, death is often seen as a failure — the thing we must postpone at all costs. We don’t talk about it openly. We hide it in hospitals, behind sterilized curtains and silent grief. We’ve pathologized the natural process of dying, calling it something to be cured, rather than a sacred transition to be honored.
Our Dual Instincts
There’s a paradox at play. On one hand, we resist death because we’re afraid of it. On the other, we fight to live because we love life so deeply. And maybe both are valid.
We intervene medically not just out of fear, but out of love — love for one more day, one more smile, one more breath with those we cherish. Medicine, in many ways, is a form of devotion.
Beyond the Diagnosis
Not all cancer is terminal. Sometimes, treating it gives us more time — not just time on a clock, but time that’s rich with meaning. Moments that matter. Healing isn’t always about preventing death. Sometimes, it’s about how we live while we’re still here.
Reframing the Narrative
But perhaps the greatest healing lies not in defeating death, but in making peace with it. What if cancer is not a curse, but a whisper? What if it’s the body’s way of saying, “It’s time to begin letting go”?
This doesn’t mean we stop caring or give up on people we love. It means we start honoring the process — not as an enemy to conquer, but as a passage to walk through with reverence.
If we listened more closely, maybe we’d stop fearing death — and start understanding it.