During, and now in what thankfully appears to be the waning wake of the Pandemic, there's a lot of talk about the "New Normal." The use of the term "normal" seems intended to be synonymous with the word routine. But for so many of us, life pre-Pandemic wasn't exactly normal - and maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the comfort of a predictable and well-managed pattern to life, but that almost sounds like a bit of an oxymoron - pattern and life, that is.
The introduction of a new child (grandchild) into the familial dynamic/mix surely is one noteworthy example of how things can modify what previously had been perceived as normal. A change for the better (and some days a challenging change indeed), but clearly an alteration to the course of life that affects all involved.
The loss of a beloved family member is another undeniable transition that forces us to rethink and revise the preceding normal pattern of living and acting. An adjustment from which we can never return and a path forward that must be addressed/charted.
Since this is in fact a blog about cancer (you could likely see this coming from a mile away) life with cancer (or any other major medical malady) is yet another example of the tenuous nature of normal and how we have so little control over it. And yet we do possess the power to ride it. I have worked hard to maintain the pre-cancer person that I was. But there is no denying that I have been affected by the results of my diagnosis, treatment, and maintenance life. Here I stand as the embodiment of the new normal; prepared for the inevitable next shift that will challenge today's routine and laying the groundwork for the exciting unknown of tomorrow.
I would posit that "normal" is an ever-elusive target (a fickle mistress). Embracing this reality can make the albeit fleeting routine of the present more enjoyable, and acceptance of the inexorable next chapter less frightening or overwhelming.
