By Leora Lowenthal, LICSW, OSW-C, MPA, FAOSW
In full disclosure, when asked to write about gratitude for this newsletter my initial response was more reluctant than grateful. It had been a particularly challenging day with innumerable sad and stressful moments. I was not in the mood to write about let alone admit feeling gratitude and yet I knew that gratitude had played a role in the day. I also don’t like to say no to our wonderful editors, Amy Colver and KrisAnn Talarico, because I am grateful for them. The whole matter presented an interesting and worthy challenge, so I asked myself some questions.
Why do I have a complicated relationship with gratitude in the context of oncology?
Most simply, I have no gratitude for cancer itself. I am grateful for the opportunity to be an oncology social worker and a member of this extraordinary community. I am grateful for the healthcare providers and organizations that helped my family when my mother was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive cancer in 1989 (ultimately influencing my education and career choices). I am grateful for the wise and loving family, friends, professors and mentors who helped me navigate the labyrinths of grief. I am grateful to be able to help others facing the myriad of challenges that cancer brings. But again, I am not grateful for cancer.
Do I believe gratitude is important when coping with a cancer diagnosis?
Yes, but it’s complicated (maybe I’m complicated). I believe in the benefit and power of gratitude as a conscious practice and will gratefully leave it to Kerry Irish, our esteemed Education Director, to explain why. I don’t believe that one must be grateful for a cancer diagnosis because no matter how many silver linings and wonderful life lessons there are to be found, at its best cancer is still usually frightening, disruptive and costly. So overall, yes to gratitude within reasonable limits. And I do usually remind people that to my knowledge, being grumpy and ungrateful will not stop their treatment from working but may impact their wellbeing in other ways.
Do I consciously practice and use gratitude in my daily life and work?
Yes, very much so although I have never kept a gratitude journal for longer than a day. And I am genuinely grateful for everything I noted above; in the larger scheme of things, I consider myself very fortunate. I also enjoy publicly sharing gratitude and encourage others to do the same.
How is gratitude related to my role as AOSW President?
For two decades, AOSW has been my professional home and this community has sustained me through difficult times. I am grateful for the learning, friendships and opportunities it has provided. And perhaps most of all, while I remain stubbornly ungrateful for cancer, I am profoundly grateful to stand beside all of you. Wishing everyone a Social Work Month of being appropriately celebrated, elevated, appreciated and recognized. And truly, thank you.
