I have received more email than I can count in the past week. I have heard from people who have been recently diagnosed with breast cancer, 5-, 6-, 9-, 12-, 19-, 24-year survivors, the husband/mother/sister/daughter/friend of someone who has or had breast cancer, people wishing me well in my recovery, and more encouragement than I can even comprehend. In all this email, which I plan to respond to every single one, I have made two observations:

1. There is a tremendous amount of love in this world; and

2. There are a staggering number of people in this world who don’t have love and support.

How do we bring the two together?

Maybe I am discovering a void that the world is somehow not filling. I don’t know what this means for me personally, but I think I may be finding a purpose or direction as I emerge from the cancer mess. I will have to see how this unfolds for me.

I am always in awe in the inherent goodness in people and how freely people express kindness, generosity, compassion, empathy, and, well, love. It is truly a beautiful thing to be on the receiving end of such affection from complete strangers. Conversely, to be facing something as horrifying as cancer alone, without a support network, without feeling connected to someone, is equally overwhelming to me. My heart breaks from the amount of emotional pain that is coupled with the physical pain of cancer. The two are inseparable. That emotional pain is only magnified when there is no support or connection.