You never think it will be you. You go about your days making plans, imagining futures, dreaming ordinary dreams. Life feels steady, predictable. And then it isn’t. One phone call. One scan. One… Continue reading
In 1948, two French scientists noticed something unexpected in their lab samples: fragments of DNA drifting in blood plasma. At the time, the discovery seemed trivial, even puzzling. DNA, after all, was supposed… Continue reading
You’ve likely heard people talk about “chemo brain”—or maybe you’ve even felt it yourself. It’s that foggy sensation that can make it tough to find the right word, recall a friend’s name, or… Continue reading
So few grains of happiness measured against all the dark and still the scales balance. – Jane Hirshfield “The Weighing” I’ve been reflecting on these lines from Jane Hirshfield’s poem The Weighing and how its… Continue reading
In many cultures, greetings are often seen as polite and routine exchanges. However, in some Muslim cultures, there exists a profound dimension to these everyday interactions. When someone asks, “How are you?” in… Continue reading
I discovered that today, September 16th is ‘Tattoo Story Day’. While I am not sure if this is a day that’s universally marked, it gives me the prompt I need to tell the… Continue reading
Checking my August Awareness Day Calendar, I discovered that today, August 30th is designated as Grief Awareness Day. Sometimes I feel we are awash with grief in our community. Not just in our… Continue reading
Are you looking for a new job after cancer treatment? Perhaps you left your last employment after your diagnosis, or maybe you are still in your current job but want a fresh start… Continue reading
“In a society which is much more inclined to help you hide your pain rather than to grow through it, is necessary to make a very conscious effort to mourn.” – Henri Nouwen Grief… Continue reading
T 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 […]
The Thing Is to love life, to love it evenwhen you have no stomach for itand everything you’ve held dearcrumbles like burnt paper in your hands,your throat filled with the silt of it.When… Continue reading
The Butterfly Effect For Marie Ennis O’Connor So close and still Quietly far away From the company Who chose you The day you heard The word we all Heard. Echoes In a canyon… Continue reading
26 posts. 26 days. 26 letters of the alphabet, one blog post beginning with each letter. H is for Hair I started this blog a few years after my breast cancer diagnosis and… Continue reading
Philippa, aka Feisty Blue Gecko, entitled her guest post for me “Blown Away” and that certainly describes my reaction when I read her wonderful tribute to online friendships. Blown Away One thing about… Continue reading
Thanks to Jan Hasak for standing in the gap today with her inspirational contribution to Motivation Monday. As a patient-advocate for the Lymphedema Advocacy Group, I grabbed the rare opportunity to go to… Continue reading
Thanks to Rachel Pappas of 1 Up On Cancer for standing in the gap today with her delightful memories of her daughter growing up. The memories stories seem to be well appreciated here… Continue reading
“Sorrow makes us all children again – destroys all differences of intellect. The wisest know nothing.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson Nothing exists anymore for me outside of my mother’s hospital bed. The horizons… Continue reading
Standing in the gap today is Nancy Hicks of The Pink Underbelly blog, who has chosen to write a post for me all about pie, complete with mouth-watering pics. Every Sunday morning we… Continue reading
Thanks to Katie for reminding me to turn to the writings of the Celtic poet and philosopher, John O’ Donohue; in particular his last work before his untimely death, Benedictus: A Book of Blessings, has… Continue reading
“Then, a circle of your friends, will defend the silver lining” ~John Mayer As we have all read about Marie and this difficult time with her mother being so ill, we bloggesses sat… Continue reading
The only thing helping me cope right now, giving me the strength I need to keep going through all of this, is being able to turn to this blog, to write a… Continue reading
It’s been a while, but I still remember those heady first days and weeks of falling in love, when the first thought in the morning, the last thought at night and all during… Continue reading
Grief is just so exhausting. Someone described it as living in two worlds at the same time. As soon as I return from the hospital after my morning visit to see my mother, I… Continue reading
