Miracles

As a continuation of the last blog post, one of the words for 2026 I found in the letter puzzle is miracles. This is a fun word to ponder. When I hear the word “miracle”, the first thing I think of is something that is extraordinary, which cannot be explained by human or nature forces. Then I think that a miracle, to me, can be something extraordinary, that leads to a sometimes surprising and pleasant outcome.

That reminds me of my clinical experience. As a physician, I always do my best to take care of the patients. No matter what any doctor does, the ultimate result may be unexpected. There is no complete guarantee. This is also one of the challenging things about medicine. You can recommend the standard of care, and the patient is adhering to all your advice – the outcome may still not be what anyone expected or wanted.

I have treated numerous patients with advanced cancers. Without treatment, they would not survive for more than six months. Some of them responded well to therapy, and lived an extra few years. Sometimes, the patient or the family would thank me for giving them extra time together. I do not take the credit, as I am not the one to decide who gets how much time on earth. I think that gaining extra time to live and to spend with loved ones is a miracle. Time is precious. Most of us do not know when exactly we will leave this world. Some people may have a better estimate because of some chronic diagnoses.

Spot, acknowledge and appreciate the miracles around us. Like an infant who survived several days in the rubble after an earthquake. Or a serial car crash with minimal injuries. Or a patient with exceptionally well response to a treatment. How about things on a smaller scale, such as a double rainbow after pouring rain? As much as there is the daily grind, there is always something pleasant, or little miracles, if we look for them. And why not search for them? Being surrounded with more pleasant things allows us to feel more calm, joy, and appreciate life more in general.

Besides searching for miracles, how about creating them? I believe that in any profession or in any aspect of life, we can help create miracles. It is a miracle that children are born, and that they learn and grow to be adults. It is a miracle that someone is so generous to donate their time to help rebuild a ruined city. As an oncologist, I take care of patients the best that I can. Miracles may or may not happen. If I can do the best in what I can control – being my best self to take care of others, the chances of miracles happening will be higher.

What about making a miracle happen for you? For the longest time, I thought it would be a miracle if I could leave work on time with all my work done. I thought that I would have to either decrease to part-time or change jobs to achieve more regular hours. It turns out that I was able to create that possibility of leaving work on time. With help, belief and determination, what seemed impossible became hope, possibility and reality. I think that is a miracle.

It is more playful and joyful to think of a miracle more than just something that defies nature. When you consider something a miracle – something that is pleasant, that seemed impossible becomes reality – there is more color we can paint in our lives, and the world becomes a better place.