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On Saturday the Princess of Wales made her first public appearance since her cancer diagnosis, at the annual trooping the colour parade. In a poignant statement released on Friday, the Princess said she had been blown away by the messages of support but also spoke of her struggle going through good and bad days saying,` I am learning to be patient, especially with uncertainty- taking each day as it comes.’

Her words will have resonated with many. It takes courage to accept a serious illness, to accept that you aren’t living the life you planned. Ill health brings its own deep uncertainties and isolation but all of us will experience some struggle or suffering in life simply by virtue of being human. And as part of facing these challenges, we become ever more conscious of what gives meaning to our lives, the things and people we’ve taken for granted and the importance of living in the present.

During such difficult times, whether we are experiencing an illness ourselves or trying to support a loved one, those of us who believe in God are encouraged to put our trust in him even more, but we can find ourselves wrestling with the very faith which we thought would be a refuge. Anger, sadness and fear can be overwhelming. Yet as thousands of Muslims celebrate Eid and return home from the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca this week, I remember how last year a close relative decided to accompany his friend on the journey, a friend who’d been diagnosed with an aggressive cancer but was determined to go on the pilgrimage. He said to me, `I might not get a chance to do much for him in the future but I can do this. Going with him isn’t a selfless act, it gives my life meaning too.’ They travelled together, prayed together and performed all the rituals, with patience and gratitude, not knowing what the future held.
Its said that there’s no right or wrong way to deal with a cancer diagnosis.

Each person needs to find their own way of coping, some even struggling with the stigma and fear surrounding the disease. The princess of Wales words and smiling appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace will have touched many. Not everyone feels they can open up, be vulnerable in front of others, but we can all feel inspired by those who even as they struggle themselves, can offer heart and hope, to a friend or a nation.

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