Why we celebrate

At Hope Has Arrived, we believe that marking a significant day on your cancer journey can help you walk in hope, as these milestones can help a person honor their story, practice gratitude and focus on the positive.

To some the term “celebrate” might feel too strong. Indeed, for some parts of your journey the only appropriate response may be to grieve or lament. For more on this topic, see grieving and lamenting (coming soon).

While keeping the proper perspective, here is more about why we think it is important to celebrate: remembering a specific day helps many cancer survivors acknowledge the experiences they have been through, as well as mark the passage of another year. And in many ways, it helps them experience gratitude for the life they have, helping understand that every day is a gift.

There is something about facing one’s own mortality that brings a change in perspective, says Wilma DeRidder, a 10-year survivor of Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

“For me, life after cancer has been different,” says Wilma. “I previously saw my life as a gift, but there is something about facing your own death that wakes you up to it even more and helps you savor those blessings.”

In 2008, Wilma faced a challenging diagnosis: Acute Myeloid Leukemia. At that point, doctors only gave her a slim chance of survival.

Yet, more than a decade later, she continues to be in remission and lives each day with a profound sense of gratitude.

To hear more about Wilma’s journey, you can read her Story of Hope.

More about gratitude 

Especially after something life-threatening like cancer, you are less likely to take your life for granted.

As I mentioned in other articles, gratitude is an important part of living in hope.

Entitlement and petty grievances often melt away in the sunshine of thankfulness. Cancer survivors experience a shift in thinking and see life, even with all its thistles and thorns, revealed as what it is: a gift.

This is why it is important to celebrate cancerversaries. We use these occasions to honor the difficult path we have walked, be thankful for the present moment and to affirm the hope we want for the future.

The experience can provide a “summit” experience for those who celebrate them.

It’s similar to some of the reasons why people enjoy climbing mountains. Ascending requires a lot of effort and perseverance and time, but when you finally reach the top, you have the opportunity to sit down, take a rest and especially to survey the view around you and look back on from whence you came, whatever difficulties or triumphs it contained.

Cancerversaries and hope

It is a very personal decision on how to celebrate a cancerversary.

I recommend that as you think through what you want to celebrate, keep hope as your focus. In other words, how can celebrating this part of your journey help you honor your story, be thankful for today and give you anticipation for good in the future?

Many people’s journeys with cancer have, no doubt, included some very dark and difficult parts. Mine did. Celebrating doesn’t mean that you pretend those didn’t happen, or that there may not be difficult days ahead. But marking today plants a flag saying, another year has gone by and I’m still here and I’m grateful for that. And as long as I have breath in my lungs, I want to cling to hope, the desire for better days ahead, even if that seems remote or unlikely.

It’s ok to acknowledge that you need hope, strength and peace for your future. As you know, everybody needs those three virtues, but people facing cancer are more atune to this fact.

No matter what you have faced or will face, honoring what you have been through will no doubt increase your joy and gratitude in the moment.

Not defined by cancer

Celebrating these dates does not reinforce that cancer is your identity, but simply acknowledges that cancer is part of your story.

As I often say, “Cancer is part of my story, but it is certainly not the whole story.”

I lived a lot of life before cancer, and God willing, I will live a lot after, too. And no matter where my journey takes me, nothing can take away who I am.

The same is true for you. Cancer doesn’t have to define you.

A note of caution

Sometimes the approaching a significant date on your cancer journey can surface some surprising emotions. Don’t be surprised if you feel some grief, sadness and maybe even anger. But also expect to feel some gratitude, joy and hope.

The day may cause you to reflect about some of the past experiences of your journey, some positive, but many that were challenging. I think anyone who has faced cancer has to admit they have some PTSD from the journey, whether great or small. It is something survivors carry with them.

Give yourself the space to process and to feel whatever you feel about reflecting upon the day. But aim to land in a hopeful and celebratory place. Even from the darkest of experiences, choose to find the positive, and let your gratitude give you joy in the day and with those you celebrate with.

Some ideas for celebrating

Here are a few ideas about celebrating your cancerversary:

• Write about your experience in a journal or blog
• Give to your favorite cancer charity or other non profit organization
• Post on social media
• Do something you love
• Get a tattoo (other than one from radiation :))
• Reconnect with a friend you lost touch with
• Do something athletic…like running, biking or walking
• Plan a vacation
• Go to your favorite restaurant (or get carryout)
• Throw a party—big or small
• Encourage another survivor: bring them a meal or send them a text
• Pray
• Read your favorite book or watch your favorite movie
• Plant a tree or a flower
• Watch a sunrise or sunset (or both in the same day)

Questions to ponder about your cancerversary

Think through your individual story. Consider these questions:

-What would you like to do to celebrate or remember about what you have gone through?

-Is there something that you are especially proud of? Like finishing treatment or some aspect of your recovery? Cancer is not always so clear cut, so even if you haven’t achieved remission or NED, there is plenty to celebrate.

-Is there something specific you want to do every year you celebrate? Or do you want to mix it up?

You can always celebrate another year of life, or honor how far you have already come on your journey.

Today is a great day to be thankful for the life you have, to honor your story and to live in hope.

Inspiration from others…

Wilma gets together with her friends and family (in person or virtually) for the anniversary of her stem cell transplant…which she received from her sister.

Kendra, a yoga instructor did a handstand on her one year anniversary.

Indeed, how you celebrate can and will look unique to you!

However you choose to celebrate, I wish you a happy and hopeful cancerversary. May it be fulfilling, joyful and meaningful for those you choose to celebrate with.

And especially, may it help give you hope for today and hope for the future.

Stories from Others

Cancer Changed My Perspective

By Doug Lee
Cancer changed my perspective, no question about it. It seems funny but I remember the date of when my cancer started, rather than my “all clear” and the chain of events.. Read more

Thanking Your Cancer Care Team

By Russ Licht
When significant dates, like my cancerversary, roll around, they fill me with gratitude for the people who have helped me along the way and motivate me to find ways.. Read more

Writing About My Cancerversary

By Carolyn Konical-Breinich
I consider January 25, the day I was diagnosed with cancer, as my second birthday and my cancerversary. I was only 13 years old when I heard the words: you have cancer.. Read more

Climbing the Lofty Spire of Hope

By Chris Lawrence
As I climbed the vertical rock spire, clinging to small sandstone holds, I wondered if this precarious ascent was the best choice to celebrate my first cancerversary from incurable cancer.. Read more

Share your story

We are looking for more cancerversary story submissions to post on this website. You can submit your stories here.

Please write to us and answer these questions:

How do you celebrate your cancerversary?
Why is this a significant day for you?

A few guidelines, we publish content related to hope, strength and peace against cancer. So please frame your story about your cancerversary in those terms.

For a shorter submission, please keep it between 100-300 words. For a longer feature length submission, please keep it to 800-1,200 words. Please be sure to send us photos with your story…one that clearly shows your face. Please try to have the photos be at least 1 MB in size.