Weekly Round-Up

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girl_with_lassoTime for this week’s round-up of the best of the blogs which I’ve read over the past week. These are the posts that have moved me, taught me something, inspired me, and which I’ve wanted to share with you. Remember, if you have written or read a post recently which you would like me to share with readers, then please leave a comment below.

I am starting off with The Space Between, a beautiful post from Jody which, when I read it, brought the word liminal  to my mind. Liminal, meaning being on the threshold of or between two different spaces, is one of my favorite ways to think of the journey I am on. So many times I find myself in a liminal space, and sometimes it can seem like nothing is happening for us but somewhere deep inside, something is taking place, something dissolving inside us and remaking us into something new.

Lori Hope , writing in the Huffington Post, on the lessons cancer has taught her, says

There really is no absolute truth for people in my — or any — situation. Achieving balance is a life’s work. But one thing became incontrovertibly clear as I stared down at the junkyard of memories: I had to take advantage of this opportunity to gain control by letting go, to defy life’s contradictions by holding them all true, and to solve life’s mysteries by embracing their insolvability.

Another writer sharing the lessons she has learned, is Rachel Pappas, who is this month’s Inspirational Woman of the Month in Inspirational Woman magazine. I feel that Rachel and I share a bond as her father and my mother both died of cancer on the same day last November.

Someone who is also dealing with the death of her beloved mother, is Bringing Up Goliath; and although it is close to 12 years since her Mom passed away, the memories are bittersweet for Stacey, as she pays tribute on what would have been her Mom’s 77th birthday.

Also this week in the blogosphere…

Lots of cute and adorable pictures of family on the Pink Underbelly’s blog and Ronnie take us on a tour through Liverpool by way of Sarah’s blog, while Lani reviews Sarah’s memoir on breast cancer,  Being Sarah.

In Do We Really Need a Bald Barbie, Nancy has stirred up a lively debate. I am sitting on the fence for this one, but if you have any strong feelings one way or the other, be sure to add your voice to the debate at Nancy’s Point. French blogger Catherine Cerisy also shares her point of view on her blog (although written in French, I was able to translate it using my rusty school girl French and Google translator).

I stand in awe of bloggers like Nancy and Catherine who use their writing to make a stand for something they believe passionately in and I thought of them whilst reading  a post by Samantha Gluck on how to write persuasively. In order to do it successfully, she maintains it ” requires a thorough understanding of the subject at hand as well as thoughtful planning and strong evidentiary support.” This is why passionate bloggers like Nancy and Rachel of The Cancer Culture Chronicles are so persuasive in their writing (see Rachel’s latest post For the Cure or Not for a prime example of this).

I love Renn’s description of Anne Marie’s Scattered Thoughts post as an “info-packed and juicy read” and it’s great to see Renn back blogging again on The Big C and Me.

Brenda has done a terrific job of explaining the latest research on whether there is a link between parabens (chemicals found in many of our most common beauty products) and breast cancer. This is a topic covered on Dr Susan Love’s blog this week and if this is a subject that concerns you,  I would recommend the Cinco Vidas website where you will find lots more information on the subject.

Many of us have been following Terri’s progress as she made her way to Vietnam this week – it has been a challenging week for her, but as I have said on other forums, I just know that this experience will leave Terri, wiser, stronger and braver at the end of her journey.

Finally I am leaving you with a quote from the Accidental Amazon, who has been dodging those cancer bullets this week:

If love and good will can prevent cancer, then after yesterday, I’m set for life

Well if love, friendship, support and goodwill can ease the journey for any of us, whatever that journey may, then truly we are set for life!

Have a great weekend!

Marie xxx

Category : Advocacy, Lifestyle, Patient Empowerment
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