As our family anxiously prepares for our son, Will, to have his bone marrow transplant we noticed that on the transplant schedule it says Happy Rebirth Day!
Rebirth of the Self
This day marks in time the date that a donor’s stem cells enter the body and begin populating in place of the patient’s. For the cancer patient, of course, this has many meanings and the most hopeful one is a chance at a new life free of cancer. As we prepare for Will’s Rebirthday, I’ve been musing on the concept of rebirth for the rest of us, not in a spiritual sense, necessarily, but from the perspective of how in many ways we are constantly reborn or reinventing ourselves.
Just as the cells of our body completely replace themselves every seven years—some more rapidly and more frequently than others—we are ever evolving in our thoughts, feelings, abilities, knowledge and opportunities. We age, we love, we experience loss. We move, we stay, we experience birth and death. Every decision, every experience changes us and creates in us continual reinvention and rebirth. This is the most beautiful aspect of being alive—the continual becoming of the self. For me, this provides permanent hope—hope that my circumstances of today will not be my circumstances of tomorrow, hope that I am moving toward something amazing, hope that I am evolving to be a better self in service to others.
As you boldly step into the New Year, embrace with excited anticipation the changes ahead. And each day, take a few minutes to celebrate your own rebirth day.
