Searching for the truth in life, I seek quotes from other writers, philosophers, and notables. Their reflections can be impactful and a window into the souls of “truth seekers.” Some passages make me go “um,” but others jump out and make me shout, YES!! I hear you, and your viewpoint is indeed what’s in my heart; your observation expresses emotion in a way I hadn’t previously thought.

John Cheever’s quote sums up why I write and aptly speaks to me:

“The need to write comes from the need to make sense of one’s life and discover one’s usefulness.”

When I started writing about my cancer journey 10 years ago, it was my way of making sense of the chaos of Cancer. It was also a cathartic exercise and a vehicle to connect and express what others are thinking, but don’t know exactly how to explain.

In Covid-19 times, I’m searching, more than ever, to make sense of this “new” landscape we are negotiating and, for me, why I must be a witness to this evolution.

After surviving Colon and Breast Cancer, I thought that nothing else could rock my world again. Amidst the surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy treatments, I faced my fears, grew in my faith, and embraced the blessings of love from my family and friends. Maybe that’s why today, I find myself still freaking out from all the pain and death we’ve experienced these past couple of years. Living in a real dystopian world is a plotline I could never have imagined coming true.

In my daily struggle to comprehend our world today, John Cheever’s quote is like a glaring neon spotlight focusing on why I write and why his observation still speaks to my soul:

“The need to write comes from the need to make sense of one’s life and discover one’s usefulness.”