By Cardinal Stephen Chow, S.J.
A recurrence of cancer is something no one wants to see. When faced with it, instead of feeling negative and counting down the days, can we move forward with hope? Ms. Wong, an introvert, chose to continue using her life to brighten the lives of others facing a recurrence of cancer. She had studied in a Catholic school when she was a young girl. As a secondary school student, she would occasionally do volunteer work. But after she left school, due to her busy schedule and the need to take care of her children, she had not volunteered for a long time.
Unfortunately, during the pandemic, she discovered that her cancer had recurred. During her treatment, she remembered the joy of volunteering when she was a young girl, and when she saw that she was still physically able to do so, she wanted to relive the joy she had received from helping others. So she made a fresh start by signing up for volunteering, not only to visit the elderly who are living alone, but also to help bring children to and from school.
Once, she was assigned to pick up a girl with mild mental disability from school. At first, Ms. Wong was a little worried, not knowing if she could handle it. But when she met the little girl, she let go of her worries, because she was no different from the other children, except that she was more talkative and lively. On the way home, the little girl asked Ms. Wong to treat her to something to eat, and Ms. Wong gladly agreed.
On the way, she shared her faith with the little girl and talked about how beautiful God’s flowers, plants, and trees are. And then the little girl suddenly held Ms. Wong by the hand, and she felt a warmth from the little girl’s hand to hers, which touched her heart and moved her deeply. At the same time she remembered that it had been a very long time since she held her mother’s hand. So the next day, when her mother visited her, she held her mother’s hand and talked, which was very heartwarming!
She has changed a lot in her interactions with different people. She actively cares about the people around her, especially those in need of help, and she has gone from being introverted and shy to talking to strangers to show her concern. She believes that as long as there is a more powerful God behind her, she will be able to make a difference in the days ahead, even though it is full of uncertainties.
