You are not alone.
You might feel abandoned and alienated with cancer but you definitely aren’t isolated. You are not a lone soldier.
I have found that social media platforms are rich in support from those going through cancer and those who aren’t. There are a lot of good people out there.
The support people offer on social media showcases the best side of a platform. Obviously there is a lot of content that is negative but there is plenty on there that is positive.
I’ve found incredible support from all over the world and I’ve given this to others too.
There is a word for this coming together to fight a common enemy and it is a symmachy.
Symmachy is one of those rare words that doesn’t get enough airing and that is surprising as it can relate to so many scenarios beyond a serious illness. It’s a fighting word begging to be used in so many battles!
In relation to cancer though, symmachy is very apt because it is an alliance involving so many people and of course not just on social media. So many individuals and organisations do their bit and play their part in making sure that no one fights cancer single-handedly.
Symmachy needs breaking down in order to make sense of it.
The sym- part of the word comes from a Greek word that means “together” and the -machy from a Greek word that means “fight.”
And that’s what we do, we fight together.
I won’t get into the argument of the ‘fight’ metaphor here and how some people despise it (see my previous blog on this subject), but on a personal level the fight fits for me. I like the word ‘fight’ and I like the word ‘symmachy’ more because it truly expresses the reality of what we are doing as a human race in coming together and doing what we can to an enemy that is threatening our wellbeing.
Togetherness counts and we have a human obligation to be there in symmachy to support those going through cancer and any other challenges.