Today I did some volunteering by helping to train other volunteers new to the service I volunteer with.  I was surprised to be told that I have provided telephone and/or email support to more than two hundred women affected by breast cancer.  That's a lot of privileged conversations, a lot of trust being expressed, a lot of vulnerability on the part of those I've supported.

In the eleven or so years I've been active, so much has changed - more people are being diagnosed than ever and waiting times for treatment are creeping up.  At the same time, there are so many new and better treatment options available now than there were back in 2010/11.  Yet, at the heart of it all are real people hearing those dreaded words, 'I'm sorry, it's cancer'. People of all shapes and sizes, ages and stages, people of every sex and gender, race, religion, political opinion, relationship status etc etc etc... 

It takes a lot of courage for someone to contact a support service, to share details of their diagnosis, their questions, their thoughts and feelings - yet they do.

It's a great privilege to be trusted by people in times when they are especially vulnerable, afraid, angry, bewildered, numb, or whatever unique mix of emotions it may be.  Sometimes I wonder if, almost fifteen years past diagnosis I still have anything valuable to share - then I speak to someone who just needs a 'good news story', a story that says there is hope, there is a future.

Sometimes someone church-related will refer to this role as a ministry, and perhaps it is.  Certainly, for me, it is a source of surprising joy and fulfillment, which is truly a great reward.