7 Things To Do When Your Friend Has Cancer
7 Ways To Love On Your Friend With Cancer
Supporting a friend or loved one with cancer is something that you probably never planned for. It's hard to process, but super important to always show them that you love them no matter where they are in their diagnosis. As a 3-time cancer supporter of close friends, I try to keep a running list of ways to help and show love.
After starting BECAUSE LOVE, I now get a ton of emails asking: “What do I say? What do I do?” A couple people have even said, “I want to call and find out what's going on, should I?” In the beginning, calls can be hard because you’re telling the story over and over again. A note, an email, or a physical card work a little better because they can be read anytime. In reality, if you’re asking yourself whether you should call, chances are you’re not in the inner circle of folks who can or even should. (A little truth talking here!)
Just know that cancer is not about you. I have seen plenty of good people, do really great things, and when the response isn’t what they expected, they feel slighted or snubbed. PLEASE, if someone in your life has cancer, just make it about them. What they want. What they need. Even if it is constantly changing – emotions are like that. Some people want inappropriate humor, or flowers, or not flowers, or crafts, or meals with no spinach, or a bottle of wine!
Here are 7 of my fave things to do when your friend has cancer:
- Consistently Check-in. Set up a reminder on your phone to check in with a quick hello or offer of support on a consistent basis. This is more caring and helpful than you may think! Life gets busy and we often can't see outside our own craziness. An alert on your calendar is the nice reminder to check in on your loved one! But please don't expect a text back... Just tell them you love them, and be on with your day!
- LOL. Be hilarious with your friend. Laughing out loud can really brighten the spirits. Maybe even watch your favorite stand-up comedian on Netflix together, or YouTube those ridiculous cat and cucumber videos!
- Be Proactive. Know that your friend is likely too distracted by cancer to ask for what they need. Be proactive by offering specifics, instead of saying, "If there is anything I can do for you, let me know," how about suggest something like "can I come over later and bring you a smoothie?"
- Keep it Homey, Homie! Help them out with things at home. Cleaning, cooking, feeding their dog, etc. (Or if you are like me and hate to clean, send over a cleaning lady!).
- Pay for Parking. Purchase a monthly parking pass for your friend's family when they have a prolonged hospitalization -- hospital parking gets expensive, so help them out!
- Play Dates (if they have kids). If your friend has kids, love on them! Take them for fro-yo, to a park, or to the movies. Your friend will enjoy seeing you love on their kids while also appreciating the quiet time.
-
Gift A Journal. For a cancer patient, journaling can help relieve stress, clarify thoughts, and it encourages people to focus on the positives in life. I have the perfect interactive art therapy journal for you to gift, click here. You can also read my blog that dives deeper into journaling through cancer, here.
Have any other go-to ideas that you love? I like to keep an ongoing list jotted down in a notebook, and them cross them off as I do them. I’d love to add to it. Give me your best love on your friends ideas below!
8 comments
I recently had cancer and have always been a very social person. I was devastated that people closest to me had no idea what to do to offer support. Thank you for your extremely thoughtful tips. I found this to be helpful in so many ways.
I recently had cancer and have always been a very social person. I was devastated that people closest to me had no idea what to do to offer support. Thank you for your extremely thoughtful tips. I found this to be helpful in so many ways.
Arona, This is very nicely written. Thank you, from a wife who has supported her husband battling cancer since 2014. My precious hubby just completed Stem Cell Transplant #2 after a relapse of his Mantle Cell Lymphoma. We have been gifted often with Restaurant Gift Cards. What a blessing! Those cards with easy “to go” and Drive Thru options were especially handy when he couldn’t go out in public. As the immune system begins to bounce back it has been such a treat dining IN nicer restaurants. Also, we had a dear group of friends who made homemade Soups and froze them! With cards and the meals, It was so nice to not have to be concerned about what we would eat for dinner after long days at the clinic.
Thank you again for sharing your lovely ideas…. Tina 😊 (We are blessed with an amazing circle of friends who remain diligent in encouraging the both of us.)