Walking Each Other Home

Lately, I’ve been seeing a particular phrase frequently, and each time it stands out to me. The phrase intrigued me the first time I saw it, but I didn’t give it a lot of thought. Now that I’m repeatedly seeing it, though, I think I’m supposed to pay attention.

The phrase is “walking each other home”. I’ve been pondering this phrase quite a bit lately. I love the connotation of it because I think of how it pertains not only to our lives personally, but it feels especially meaningful to me with our SkinCancer.net community.

No longer alone on this skin cancer journey

We are all on this journey together. Some of us are personally going through battles with skin cancer, some of us have family members or friends going through it, and sadly, some of us have lost loved ones to skin cancer. Some of us are in the early stages of our journey; others have been on this path for decades.

I used to feel alone in my skin cancer journey. I was first diagnosed with skin cancer in 1995, and many of those 20+ years felt pretty lonely, until I was introduced to SkinCancer.net a little over a year and a half ago. And oh my goodness, how this changed things. I now have people who ‘get’ it – they also know what it’s like to have anxiety before skin checks, and how it feels to worry about what the biopsy results will be, the worry about what kind of surgical procedure will be necessary to remove a new area, and what in the world is that new spot and where did it come from?!?

Meeting people who get it's not "just" skin cancer

I’ve found people who don’t roll their eyes or tell me it’s ‘just’ skin cancer and to stop being so dramatic when I’m fretting about an upcoming procedure. People who will let me vent if that’s what I need, instead of looking bored and as if they wished I would Please.Stop.Talking.Now about yet another skin cancer surgery. Even though I’m a moderator for our community and I’m more often giving encouragement to others than seeking it, there are also times when I’m feeling apprehensive, or worried, or downright scared, and I’ve found great comfort and encouragement from others.

The power of online support

The truth is, we need each other. Sometimes we are the person who is cheering someone on when they post about their skin cancer battle, and sometimes we are the person who needs the support from others. Some days may require us to give to others, while other days we are on the receiving end. I think it’s beautiful that this is how our community works. I’ve read so many comments of love and support for others, and even though our community members may be strangers, we don’t feel much like strangers to each other, do we?

Thank you, all of you, for your kindness, your compassion, your empathy, your sympathy, and your understanding for each and every one of our community members. You are truly a special group of people, and I am eternally grateful.

So come, take my hand, and let’s continue to travel on our journey together. But how about I put a little sunscreen on your nose before we head out?