There is a precious moment of parenting that I am all to aware will soon come to an abrupt end – bedtime stories. Fortunately, for now, my LM still enjoys being read to. It calms his active mind and restless body, and readies him for the land of sleep. We read chapter books, picture books, comics, or kids graphic novels,…
Thyroid Cancer
These past few weeks have been emotional. I said my final good-bye to someone I loved, and then I learned of the abrupt loss of a beautiful friend. Two people whose light has forever dimmed, and my heart aches for the loss. “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” – Dr. Seuss I have always been mindful of…
Cancer. It is a foreboding word. When spoken aloud, the word cancer can elicit an array of powerful emotions – shock, dread, fear, isolation, loneliness, terror, panic, anger, sadness, anguish… Cancer. I remember vividly, the multitude of overwhelming emotions I felt when I knew the radiologist found cancer in my breast. I remember the icy sensation that seeped through my…
I love using essential oils – drops of frankincense oil mixed with whipped organic shea butter as a topical ointment has provided me with relief from swelling caused by lymphedema; lavender oil mixed in a carrier oil and rubbed on my pressure points eases my anxiety as do drops of lavender oil in my diffuser to induce relaxation and calm;…
Living in a society that worships outward beauty and perceived perfection can be difficult for those of us who bear visible scars. We are not perfect. We are flawed – but – we are alive, we have survived, and we have a story to tell. Each scar tells a story. Within that story is often a lesson. Within that lesson…
I began acupuncture as a third method of healing in this breast cancer journey of mine, just a little over a year ago, not realizing that it would unleash powerful emotions, bring forth my subconscious into conscious, and cause immense shifts from within [as explored in my posts This is Grief and Without Water There Can Be No Life]. It…
I have encountered the many stages of the ages, as mentioned in my previous parenting posts (take a read if you dare!), and now I find myself parenting a five-year-old-going-on-fifteen. Wow. It’s wild! These Foolhardy Fives have been a tumultuous ride! Even with my seatbelt fastened I feel like I’ve been thrown about in a whirlwind of BIG emotions –…
This has been an emotional week of good-byes for me. Three big partings. Three momentous endings. My mother, a proprietor of a beautiful Home Decor & Giftware store has retired. This is the final week of business. On Sunday, her doors will close forever. It is a realization that is hard to comprehend. I’ve watched her grow her store into…
Life has many ways of testing a person’s will, either by having nothing happen at all or by having everything happen all at once. – Paulo Coelho I am struggling. I am struggling with the long, cold, harsh, bleak days hanging down on us. I am struggling because this time of year brings back vivid memories that are hard to…
Surviving cancer. It alters so much about who you are: your values, your hopes, your mindset, and your ambitions. You become acutely aware of what truly matters in life, and perhaps, not surprisingly, the things you once placed value on and gave all your energy and time to, were not the things of importance. My son was 12 months…