My mom has cancer - here's how I dealt with it A year back, whilst my final IGCSE exams were coming up, my mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. It was one of the hardest times of my life, especially because my dad was separated from our family due to COVID-19 restrictions. Besides looking after my mom by myself, I had to manage my school work, social life, and mental health all at the same time, which made me fall into a truly dark pit in my life. However, in due time, I managed to climb out, and ever since then I wanted to get my story heard in order to help others that are in a similar situation. That’s why I am writing this essay, and I hope that I can motivate at least one of you to move forward, no matter how hard times may be. Battling Through My Emotional Struggles When I heard that my mom was diagnosed with cancer, I was lucky enough to have two very close friends with me from the start. Although it was, at first difficult to communicate to them how I felt, looking back, opening up to them made me feel so much better about the situation. Knowing I had friends that I could depend on when everything around me seemed to be falling apart, I felt reassured that I could go through this. As a result, I found courage and comfort through their presence, which made me look at the situation with a more optimistic view, and continue to persevere through such times. When you talk things through with people you can trust, or just someone you know, it really helps you manage your stress, and lifts the burden that such situations have put on your mental health. However, sometimes opening up isn’t enough. You still need to find a way to channel your emotions. For me, I found shelter in drawing out my feelings and listening to music that reciprocated those feelings. Initially, I drew images that portrayed my complex emotions and listened to songs with lyrics that I could relate to, but it was hard since that made me feel so vulnerable. But over time, I felt more comfortable and even secure knowing that there was a healthy outlet through which I could let my emotions out, as well as people out there who could relate to what I was going through. What I am trying to say is, it is unhealthy to keep your emotions bottled up inside of you, so acknowledging your emotions and letting them out can help you find peace during times in which you feel there is no way out. But as I am giving you this advice, sometimes my emotions still consume me, and I relapse into a cycle of emotional trauma. During these times, I remind myself what my two friends told me: “whatever is happening right now is temporary; don’t let it dictate who you are going to be in the future”. These words keep me motivated and encourage me to come out of this cycle of misery. I know that these words might not have the same effect on everyone, which is why I feel that anyone who is in a similar situation should find something that really helps them stay in a calm and peaceful state of mind amidst all that’s happening. Because in the end, you cannot change what is happening, but you can always change how you process it. Stay strong; we will get through this together.
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