Weekly Round Up

Time for this week’s round-up of the best of the blog posts 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. Don’t forget if you have written a post which you would like readers to see, just leave a comment below.

How do you break the news to friends and family that you have cancer? Chris has some suggestions on his blog and shares the wisdom of talking about it. Perhaps one of the hardest things is sharing the news with your children – Sarah has written about the impact of cancer on her daughter Sophia and the need to do more for families in this situation. And Mags shares in her own unique style, the effect on her partner.

“Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.” I was reminded of the Oscar Wilde quote when reading Yvonne’s blog on money well spent :

At fifty, I realized that:  a) I will never make enough money to go to a job I hate every day and b) money really isn’t everything even though I have often acted as though it is.

She goes on to outline the things that truly are worth spending money on.

One of the things surely worth investing in is reaching our potential – the topic of a thoughtful blog by Audrey this week:

I would really like to live in a society where we think about how we can realise people’s potential more, whether they are coping with things like illness or disability or if its about other kinds of challenges like poverty that affect all life choices.

Which leads me neatly onto Philippa‘s guest post by Kirsty Sword Gusmão on a topic very close to the Feisty Blue Gecko’s heart – Bridging the Timor Gap: Dreams of equity for women with breast cancer in the Southeast Asia region’s newest nation. 

Meanwhile in the western world,  women  – or perhaps more accurately the Desperate Housewives/Real Housewives women I see on TV are spending money on turning back the years. I love Carolyn’s take on accepting the inevitability of ageing with grace and good humor. And although I shared it last week, it is worth sharing it again – Nancy’s take on Women And Their Bodies.

What’s in a name? Check out these insightful pieces by the BCSM Community,  Anne Marie and Jackie on the renaming of cancer debate and Dr Susan Love on the cancer survivorship label.

Beth explores the topic of illness and the workplace.

Renn is sharing popular six word memoirs on cancer.

Very interesting post on Telling Knots on using mindfulness to deal with anxiety.

Both Katie and Cancer Curmudgeon are anticipating Pinktober in their blogs.

A happy family situation for Eileen this week as she celebrates her daughter’s wedding.

The Pink Underbelly shares a personal account of a tragedy suffered by a close friend and reading it made me think about all the pain and grief which so many of us are experiencing right now. It’s important to be able to share it with others.  Many times I have found that when I do share it, I am overwhelmed with kindness and support – the subject of Jocelyn’s blog on cyberkindness.

Elizabeth has written movingly and honestly about grieving and I am so grateful for her honesty. I also encourage you to read this powerful snapshot of a recent Twitter chat on what Simon Scott’s tweets at his dying mother’s bedside has taught us.   John Moline’s comment particularly resonated with me.

This is an example of what Twitter and all “social media” could, and perhaps should, be. A true window into another human beings experience and emotions, rather than “I’m eating a hamburger now

Then read Debbie’s post Life Is Short. I was struck by the quote she uses “Time is long but life is short.” When we are in the midst of grief and suffering it feels like the days drag. We long for the pain to be over and our lives to get back to “normal”. Then we look up and we realize that days, months, and years have passed without us even being aware of life passing us by.  It can be so easy to get stuck in our grief, but Debbie reminds us of the need to grieve but then to move on and live our lives.

Catherine is moving on, despite the limbo her latest cancer tests have put her in, and shares her latest project with us. And Tami is taking to heart the adage that life is too short to please other people by compiling her essential “Not to do” list.

Finally this week, I leave you with a quote from the blog of my favorite tweeting doctor, Dr Matthew Katz:

Those who love you are not fooled by the mistakes you have made or dark images you hold about yourself. They remember your beauty when you feel ugly; your wholeness when you are broken; your innocence when you feel guilty; and your purpose when you are confused.

Until next week.

Yours with love

Marie xxx