A Reminder Life Sends When We Least Expect It
Some news lands in the body before it reaches the mind. It stops you, stills you, and asks you to look at your life with a different kind of honesty.
That is exactly what happened when I read that Lucy Davis, the wonderfully talented actor from The Office, shared her diagnosis of incurable stage 4 breast cancer. She once said, “You never know what someone is carrying.” It feels even more poignant now.
A few weeks ago, I stood at the funeral of a woman I met through my local breast cancer group. She had faced breast cancer three times, and this time her body could not keep going. More than three hundred people came to honour her. A sea of purple, tears, stories, and love. There were so many of us that I was guided into the overflow room where the service was streamed. Even there, the emotion was overwhelming.
Moments like these make you reflect deeply. How lucky am I to still be here. To be fit and well. Yes, my chest is a little wonky. Yes, I get tired. Yes, I have six more years of medication. And still, I am here. Alive. Present. Well.
The Day Everything Changed
My own journey began in a Morrisons car park, where the mobile breast screening unit was parked. I nearly did not go. It was a Saturday. I was busy. There was a long list of things to do. And who really wants to undress in a tiny room and stand in an awkward position for four minutes while the incredible technicians gently move you into place.
Yet without that routine test, I would never have known. I had no symptoms. My tumour was hiding under my left breast, almost two inches across by the time they found it. Surgery and treatment followed, and today I am cancer free. Grateful does not even begin to cover it.
A Reminder to Pause and Appreciate Today
This blog is a reminder that none of us are invincible. Life has a way of tapping us on the shoulder and asking us to pause, breathe, and notice where we are right now. It asks us to appreciate the ordinary moments, the quiet ones, the ones we rush past.
So, when your screening letter arrives, please go. It takes minutes. It could save your life, as it saved mine.
📝 Journal Prompts
To help you reflect on your own life, your health, and the moments that matter:
- What am I grateful for today Write about the small things you can easily overlook.
- Where have I been rushing Notice the places where life is asking you to slow down.
- What does being alive feel like in my body Explore sensations, energy, breath, and presence.
- What do I want to experience more of Name the moments you want to expand.
- What conversation or connection have I been avoiding Reflect on what matters and what needs your attention.
- How can I honour my health this week Choose one gentle action that supports your wellbeing.