One of my friends is dying. She is a lovely woman who has shared a great deal of wisdom, through the years we have known each other.
Recently, Maureen told me that she had read a short article which resonated with her and challenged the way in which she was living. The article spoke about adjusting to a life-limiting condition or terminal disease. It said that coping became easier when one accepted – each day – that “this is the new normal”. We discussed the time spent in looking back on wonderful things – particularly good health – and hoping that, somehow and in some way, we will be able to return to that familiar place. It doesn’t help.
Don’t look backward, don’t strive for the past we nostalgically recall through rose-tinted spectacles. Greet and accept the “here and now” for what it is and what it brings. This is the “new normal”; it’s different, but it is and will be okay.
