Confession: How Illness Freed Me from the Habit of Being Convenient for Everyone

Blog author Inga Chikovani, an oncology patient, recounts how her illness helped her stop being 'convenient for everyone.' She describes an incident with a former classmate who, after a stroke, sought a listener, but she realized she is not obligated to listen to him while undergoing treatment herself. This led her to understand the importance of personal boundaries.

Inga Chikovani, a journalist who retrained as a social worker in Israel, writes a blog for 'Vesti' about her battle with cancer. In the thirtieth installment, she tells how the illness freed her from the habit of being 'convenient for everyone.' She describes an incident with a former classmate who contacted her after decades to complain about the aftermath of a stroke. Inga realized she is not obligated to listen to him while undergoing difficult treatment herself. She ended the call, and later, when she called back, she again found that the interlocutor was only interested in himself. This helped her recognize the importance of personal boundaries and the right to prioritize her own peace. She also reflects on how people often don't know how to interact with cancer patients, and that it's okay not to be 'convenient' for each other.