Seeking a Dose of Hope Amidst Cancer

Interrupting your regular scheduled programming, I offer you this little dose of hope. Have faith and know you can be you. When I was growing up the question that every teacher would ask me was, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I was always jealous of those kids who answered without any hesitation: “I want to be a policeman ” or “I want to be a firefighter” or some other popular profession amongst kids.

For me I knew that I wanted to be someone who could make people happy. Maybe I was just a little dreamer or had hope for a better life. That leads me looking back on my cancer journey. Was I foolish to assume that those hopes and all of the aspirations many years ago would become a reality? After all, I truly deep down, wanted to be in communications. I loved communicating with people, organizing things, putting together projects with people. But often I repeatedly ran up against a brick wall that I needed to climb over.

For years I had been plagued by doubt. Story of my life. Then I discovered hope. My intent in writing this blog is to help people talk about their struggles of cancer. Hope is the power that can bring us all together. The “suffering” part was really talking about my emotional state: after surgery, time away from friends and the clambering fear that the cancer might return.

As survivors we’ve struggled through pain and tragedies. I think we can all relate to longing for home and wanting for a better social life and to be surrounded by love. No matter where you are in your place at this moment, don’t question your survivorship and if you deserve it. You are a new person and people in your inner circle will recognize that. I hear from people, “Oh yes, it’s funny because I remember you growing up.” I come back with a funny response, so do I.

As anybody dealing with any kind of cancer realizes there are walls and downhills. It’s that flat ground in between that keeps you thinking, “I know I can survive.” Many people that have had cancer in the past or have had cancer in their family know the feeling of dreaming and becoming or doing something that you genuinely wanted but would not have done pre-diagnosis. Seeking hope is perhaps what you needed and that was the courageous step forward toward your dream or goal.

Remember that feeling of when nothing is happening, and everything seemingly is? You can label it and describe in every detail what it feels like. Hope can give you courage to decide about your yourself and show you understand where to go next. Seek out hope knowing you will find your own survival.

After many years of college starts and stops, I did get a Bachelor of Science in Communications. Just hours after leaving my college graduation ceremony, my dad said to me with a lump in his throat, “Your mother and I always had hope for you.” I did not always have the best grades but I did have hope to finish and kept that goal in front of me. I am glad my parents saw success in me too. From now until April is a great time for self-reflection. Envision the person that you are becoming to meet a world that is always changing.

I want to tell you that even when you’re down when you think that there’s no end to all the tests and doctors are driving you crazy look for hope. Say aloud, “I’m going to make this day great. I’m going to make this month better, and I’m going to make this year the best ever!” This mantra is not a magic potion, but a reminder to you that there is hope to leave all the negative behind. You are in control to make that happen with small steps every day.

We are living in a moment where words are consistently in our face, true or otherwise. It’s too easy to be a victim but stand up for yourself for being a survivor. Hope is not just a word but it’s seeking it out as a fact of existence. I’m grateful for growing up and being a survivor. It’s made me a better human being. Hope and faith has made me who I am today.

I write in my new book, The Shriek I Do Remember, about the importance of family and friends and the healing powers that each have. I do not think I could have madeit this far without them in my life. But, it was my own hope for a more meaningful and love filled life that gave me courage to take steps in that direction. My hope for all my readers in 2026 is to be that person that people want to meet. Don’t keep running from yourself.

You can find around every corner, through every doorway someone who can help. With a little dose of hope, you will find yourself. The fact that hope resonates so much with so many people shows that beneath the layers of pain there are still sleeping souls to be awakened. My new resolution for 2026 is to give a bit of hope for all survivors, friends, family, and my followers.

Follow along at briansluga.com monthly and read my latest blog stories.

This piece reflects the author’s personal experience and perspective. For medical advice, please consult your health care provider.

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