Poetry Friday
Instead of a poem for you this Friday, I would like to share with you a reflection on the nature of poetry written by AA Gill. It beautifully sums up what poetry means for me and… Continue reading
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
Instead of a poem for you this Friday, I would like to share with you a reflection on the nature of poetry written by AA Gill. It beautifully sums up what poetry means for me and… Continue reading
As cancer survivors, many of us have struggled with that unexpected feeling of depression and loneliness that surprises us after treatment is finished. I say unexpected and surprises, because for many of us… Continue reading
Are you in need of some good news? Well how about a whole day of it? You may have heard that this third week in January is statistically the most depressing of the year.… Continue reading
Today’s recipe is a twist on a classic cauliflower cheese recipe. Cauliflower is a vegetable that is often overlooked, but I really like it. It is a member of the cruciferous family, known for… Continue reading
Look out for Ireland’s Acupuncture Awareness Week which starts tomorrow Monday 18th January. Acupuncture is a technique in which very thin needles of varying lengths are inserted through the skin to treat a… Continue reading
I have been really impressed with the way the scriptwriters on the long-running soap opera, Coronation Street, have dealt with the breast cancer diagnosis of the character of Sally Webster. When I first read that the… Continue reading
The Journey One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began, though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice– though the whole house began to… Continue reading
“One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon… Continue reading
I’ve already fallen by the wayside regarding one of my New Year’s resolutions… my daily commitment to meditation is wavering. I know how important it is for me personally to have a daily practise… Continue reading
Face the Sun is the first feature film to look closely at breast cancer and its impact on families. This tender, heart-warming and inspirational film offers messages of courage, hope and forgiveness, while… Continue reading