The Cardinal on the Silver Tree (by guest blogger Lynne Brophy)

I came in one morning and the cardinal on the tree just sitting there, next to the 21 James waiting room, looking up.  The tree was barren but covered with a bright silver color. 

I had just ridden the elevator with a young man who looked like he was waiting for his bone marrow to recover.  He had full alopecia, a mask covering his face and very little clothing that told me something about his personality.  He just looked bare, like the tree-devoid of signs that say “this is who I am”. But he was looking up, looking hopeful.  Just like the cardinal. 

We have found out in the past few weeks that the cardinal means many things to people.  To me, it is a beacon of hope.  Sitting on a bare tree, waiting for the snow, a meal, its mate.  It is peacefully waiting and present. 

The cardinal reminds me that hope means so many different things to so many people with cancer.  It can be seeing family, having less pain, getting home to the dog, sitting on the tractor or fishing one last time. 

I need to keep working to help patients find their special hopes.  So they can be like the cardinal, even when the situation may seem very desolate and barren.