Just in case you don’t have a small child or are not familiar with the Disney movie Frozen, let me tell you about the movie’s main character Elsa. Elsa is inspired by the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale The Snow Queen. In Disney’s version, Elsa becomes queen of her kingdom but is unhappy because she is plagued by magical powers that cause everything she touches to become frozen. Elsa places her whole kingdom into an eternal winter and decides the only way she can keep both her kingdom and her beloved sister safe is to leave and go live alone in an ice castle. Initially, Elsa thinks she must hold everything inside and deal with all the turmoil she’s feeling by herself. It is when she leaves everyone and everything behind that she realizes in order to be free of her problems she must just “let it go”! She also comes to understand that she needs to trust others to help her deal with her issues.
I think Elsa spoke some very wise words for those of us experiencing an illness like cancer. Initially, most people think they have to deal with this disease on their own; that it is their burden to bear. In some sense, this is true because the sickness is in your body. The reality is that the sickness also touches the lives of those around you. Their love and support are what help you deal with not only the disease but also the healing process. Just like Elsa, we learn that we have to “let it go”! When we do, we allow others to be a part of our life and we can move forward to the healing part of our journey. My advice to you is that you CAN let others in, embrace their love and work together to just “LET IT GO!”
Blessings, Cindy J
Footprints of Hope 