"I'm x for you"

I've heard that a lot of the last few weeks, even more so after the diagnosis officially came down.  Or some variation of that.  "I'm praying for you.", "Your in my prayers."  "I'm thinking of you.", "Your in my thoughts.", "I'm sending good mojo you're way".

Confession time:  I used to think that saying those bromides was the biggest cop out ever.  It takes away any individuality from the situation and gives it a generic fix, a prayer, a thought, or (although not literally in my case) a mojo.  However, the sheer outpouring I've gotten of them have become a source of comfort, and its been humbling.

Now, as this Wikipedia article points out, there has been scientific research done into the benefits of prayer.  (TL;DR : the evidence is questionable, but not questionable enough to toss aside continued research).  While there seems to be more support for meditation, even those results seem to suggest more correlation than causation.

What I've gained from being told "I'm x for you" (x= prayer, thinking, and mojo) isn't some kind of divine healing or some kind of physiological change (at least as far as the cancer is concerned).  Instead, it's that I'm not walking alone.

Over the past week, while I've been at home recovering from surgery I have had visitors everyday.  Today, would be the first day in over a weak that there hasn't been someone coming into the house to see me, and sit and talk.  That has never happened before.  I've had people I haven't talked to in a while call me and have long phone conversations with me.  I've had complete strangers (thanks to the weird way Facebook decides who can see your posts) say they're praying for me or thinking of me.  It really has been remarkable.

And sure, I'm cynical enough to think that those who say "I'm x for you" are going to do it, but maybe only once or maybe only in the next five minutes.  But, when I look at the people who have said that to me, I know that they mean it.  And when that realization hits me, I am humbled.

And if the fact that statistically speaking I'm much more at risk of getting in my car and driving than I am with my type of cancer isn't enough to hit treatment head on then I have to do my end of the work for the people who are x for me.  That is how I can show my gratitude.  And following an old proverb, "Pray to God, but row away from the waterfall", is just how I work.