Mom's Cancer Lessons Continue

My mother was loving to all.

She taught her children well.

How to laugh, even when raising a mere smile seems impossible.
How to celebrate the smallest of victories as it is a positive step forward.
How to remain curious for learning never ceases.

Her living with cancer is a lesson both my late brother and I benefited from although she would have hated having had us put through it.

The occasional vent is fine, but a constant whine is not.
Continue to do for others.
Never give up hope.
Focus on even the tiniest wonders of nature and respect it.

Her valiant battle ended 26 years ago this year.

Luckily, her lessons continue thriving.

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Fight on

Even when in pain and uncertainty what keeps you fighting?

I realize some might think the following foolish and scoff, but doing breathing deep during troubling times does work at calming you and allows for the emergence of different solutions to situations...even if it means just waiting. Case in point. On last Monday, I received a letter from my insurance company saying they were NOT okaying my upcoming 2nd chemo session of Keytruda. Scheduled to start sometime in late August or September, denial of this "kick ass" drug was disheartening. Calling my doctor's office, I offered my grant, proposal and white paper writing skills to better the chances on getting this approved. Ego was out the window - saving my life ruled. Luckily, a very wise friend came up with this sage advice 'you need your energy for healing so let the doctor's office do the heavy lifting' So true! All I could do was breathe deep and trust the Universe it would work out. On Friday the doctor's office informed me, the insuran...

The Kindness of Strangers

The kindness of strangers is so important in my life right now as I maneuver about in a place where physical friends do not exist and a lack of a car makes life a challenge. Last evening arout 6:45, I was walking the 1/2 mile to the FDR Home, here in Hyde Park. I've walked it a number of times, but for some reason I resumed my title of "Prima Ballerina at the Klutz Ballet." My left foot caught the lip of the uneven asphalt and after stumbling and unsuccessfully trying to ca tch my balance with my hiking stick...down I went. Sprawled over the shoulder, as I sat up to take inventory, four cars, on both sides of the road screeched to a stop. These four strangers picked me up and stayed as I surveyed the damage.Scraped knees, hands and an aching wrist where it could have been so much worse. One man took me down to the FDR, where a documentary presentation was waiting. As we parked he handed me a small first aid kit and said 'keep it.' It enabled me to cl...

Cancer is only part of my journey

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