I have a friend that has cancer. I would like to help her through this difficult time. How can I help her?
You must realize that each person is different and because of that their needs are different. Talking to your friend and keeping communication open is important as her needs may change from day to day. Remember that your friend’s cancer not only affects her but her family. Listening would be very important. Anyone with cancer will give us hints and definite directions about what helps them most. Active listening involves watching body language in the answer as well as listening to the words. Your friend will need your patience, love and prayers. You must realize that she will have her good and bad days. She may ask a lot of “Why?” questions and may not expect you to have an answer. She needs to tell her story and explore out loud the mystery of God working things out in her life. There may be meals to make, cleaning to be done, cards to be sent, and rides to the doctor’s office if your friend is taking radiation or chemo. You will need to ask her the question, “How best can I help you?”