Wednesday, 16 October 2013

The Bucket List

Due to my profession, I am meeting many individuals who battling with cancer each da. Even though I have been in this line for years, but it still hurts me when I see them deteriorate rapidly, what more to say about their closed ones.

Colleagues and I were chatting over lunch about cancer and death. I went to search on http://www.worldometers.info/cancer/ on 12th Oct 2013, at 11.55am. 6,400,776 deaths caused by cancer worldwide, and the number keeps increasing. The data on cancer mortality displayed on Worldometers is based on the latest statistics published by the World Health Organization (WHO).

I am sure these days, we know someone around us who died of cancer. According to World Health Organization (WHO), Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. Lung, stomach, liver, colon and breast cancer cause the most cancer deaths each year.

There was this thought across my mind when I was driving the other day, what if I am diagnosed with cancer? How will I react to that, and what will be my plan next (if I still have time to plan). The first person I thought of was my daughter. Who is going to take care of her, and how is she going to cope growing up without me? One thing for sure is that, I will thank God for giving my life and continue praying for He knows what is attacking my body and only He can banish the sickness from my body.
While all these thoughts going on in my mind, they reminded me of the movie, The Bucket List. The movie is a 2007 American comedy-drama film which directed by Rob Reiner, and starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman.  And so, I went home and watched it the third time. In the movie, mechanic Carter Chambers (Freeman) and billionaire hospital magnate Edward Cole (Nicholson) meet for the first time in the hospital after both have been diagnosed with cancer and undergo their respective treatment. They were sharing a hospital room together.
Carter Chambers was writing "the bucket list" for himself when the doctor announced that Edward will have 6 months to live, 1 year if lucky. They decide to do all the things they have ever wanted to do before they die according to their bucket list. 
Do I want to know how much time I have to work with if I am diagnosed with cancer? I can’t tell until I have been told. But, I know no matter how much time I have, the first on the list will be “ No more procrastination and pray relentlessly." 


“Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone” 
 
Pablo Picasso

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