Don't give yourself cancer

It is a blatant fact that smoking causes cancer. Everyone knows. Smokers, non-smokers, whoever.

It is also very likely that if you get cancer, you will die.

With that said, why in the world would you start smoking?

For the first time in my life, I have friends who have fought or are fighting the disease that is cancer. I have been lucky with that. I’ve always heard about people I didn’t know personally being plagued with the disease, but it never hit very close to home until recently.

About a year ago, I met a guy who said he had been through skin cancer, and he told me all about how I should take care of my skin, pay attention to different abnormalities and get checked out often. I didn’t take him very seriously.

Then, in May, I saw that a friend posted on Facebook that he had cancer in his toe. It started to really hit me. People are diagnosed with these potentially-life-threatening diseases daily, without doing anything to “cause” them. All I could do was give him my love and pray that he would be alright. This friend had his toe amputated, and, for now and hopefully forever, he is cancer free.

Just last week, another friend (this time one who fought cancer once already and has been cancer free) was diagnosed with cancer of the liver. And he didn’t do anything to get there. I am giving him all the love I can and praying that he will get through it. He is strong and has the support of many, and it sure seems like his hopes are set high.

It really gets me, though. Maybe it’s because I actually know and look up to the people that have these diagnoses, this time. Regardless, it makes me think of all the “innocent” people getting stuck with life-threatening diseases, while I sit here eating doughnuts and McDonalds like I could never die from being obese.

I am not saying that people go around wishing for cancer or other terminal diseases. I understand that no one can cause themselves to have terminal illnesses, but they sure can make the chances higher. I am also not saying that I am free from guilt making the chances higher – that’s part of the reason cancer stories are hitting me so hard lately. I do not take care of myself like I should.

We need to think about the choices they make as they are making them instead of ignoring the fact that certain things can, and probably will, cause us to die. Everyone dies eventually, but there’s no reason to make our time here any shorter.