Cancer hurts, but we all have the inner strength to aid the wounds

This is a poem I wrote while sitting in the hospital waiting room during my Dad's most recent emergency cancer surgery. Hospitals are difficult, after being on both sides, I think the hardest part is for the 'waiter'. Family is much more than a 'role' - it the strength when your loved one is struggling to hold onto strength. Family are those who are there for you. Blood ties do not matter in hospital waiting rooms.....we all hold on tight to each other and gather strength for those who need it most.


Poem poetry writing words;
emotion anger hurt hate.
Let go.
Let go.

Rip tear shred burn;
lose emotion anger hurt hate.
Be free.
Be free.

Poem poetry writing words;
emotion calm happy real.
Live on.
Live on.

I'm not going to pretend - Hospital waiting rooms are anything but easy. They are not silent, calm, serene......rather filled with overwhelming emotion of every sort. Perhaps silent, but in scare. This poem describes my therapy to write my feelings, to assist in tending to the heavy air and long sit waiting for the surgeon to say Dad has amazing strength and is going to be ok.  Ok. Ok. Ok.

And now to call on my own strength to rip and burn my scare and move forward. To be. To live. To care for Self to best care for others. I send blessings to anyone in need of a bit of hope, an extra prayer, and a hug.

Today is Today is Today

So....ENJOY!  There is only one February 26, 2010.  Think about it, you can live TODAY or 'be' the day-away. Breathe fresh air, enjoy the rain, love the sun, and pay extra attention to the moment; the second. Not only is conscious living healing for the mind, but it heals the body, the soul, and the Self.  Results, a new appreciation of the Self and the world. Automatically enhance your Green Self and community. Take this opportunity and LIVE TODAY....after all, this is a precious gift that most of us take for granted. For me - bundling up for an adventure to collect beach stones!

Bonus: Now take a second and feel within....don't you feel healthier now?

The Power of a Nap

The below article is right on.... especially since I too am a 'napper'!! Naps are not solely for babies, kids, dogs, the elderly....EVERYONE is entitled to a nap. Give your body a break - a chance to keep up with life! And accept the enjoyment of a nap. In sickness or in health, YOU deserve it!

There is new information out of the University of California at Berkley that indicates that napping during the day boosts cognitive power. I like this! I am a napper. I don’t always get the opportunity for a short afternoon nap, but when I need it I take it. It might just be a few minutes before dinner or an evening class but it helps. When we go through chemotherapy or radiation one of the most distressing side effects is fatigue. Usually I worked in the morning and then went to Chemotherapy in the afternoon, returning to work the next day. This resulted in only a half day off from work. After a couple of months I would take the day after chemo off as I began to feel thecumulative effects of months of treatment. That would give me the whole day to rest.

I then learned that if I could get a nap in during the day when I was working I could sail through the day much easier. Problem is, most people don’t get the opportunity or have a place where they can get a nap in. I had an office so I could put my head on my desk and close my eyes which resulted in a 15 minute nap. It really did help. On warm days, I was not above napping in my car during lunch hour. It’s still a good idea.

I no longer need naps to get through breast cancer, but I don’t rule them out during stressful times. I started out with breast cancer treatment thinking I was a superhuman but soon learned that I am only human. Naps are a good thing and now we have the science to back them up.

Kathy-Ellen

February 22, 2010

Breast Cancer and the Power of Napping

www.everydayhealth.com

Cultivating Compassion

This beautiful meditation helps us see others and ourselves through the eyes of the heart. Take a few deep breaths and rest your hands tenderly on your heart as you softly repeat the following phrases:

May I remain in peace and let go of expectations.
May I acknowledge my anger, fear, and sadness without thinking it makes me bad or wrong.
May I offer unconditional attention and care to others knowing it may be met by indifference or anger.
May I find the inner resources to truly be able to give freely.
May I be filled with compassion and loving kindness for myself and all beings.

by Karen Sothers

It is so easy to get LOST - lose your mind, lose your temper, lose your keys. The difficult part is finding what's lost.  The easiest way - look inside yourself. Remember, Self's powers are indefinite, even in the utmost uncertain times. So, take a peek. Invite the compassion into your day. You'll find an amazing snowball effect; the awareness of a brighter day, more smiles, and a new found appreciation of yourself and the world. 

Patience

It takes practice....practice, practice, practice. Especially patience with yourself.  I find this the most difficult 'patience' there is. Funny we often find ourselves recommending, suggesting, encouraging, inspiring our friends, family, co-workers, and community to 'be' or to 'do' or to 'relax'.  When the irony of the situation really lies within - we would never accept this advice. The Self has great powers, oftentimes much overlooked. The Self knows right from wrong, healthy from toxin, moral from immoral, and most of all the truth from lies. Why is it so easy to use this amazing power to help others while being so easy to discriminate against ourselves?

Successful Self Patience
Yeild: Your Own Best Friend - Connection with Self

Ingredients:
* 2 Heaping Cups of Self Love
* 1 Cup of Self Worth - because YOU are Worth It
* 2 Heaping Tablespoons of Self Belief - even in unsure times (believe in yourself in situations when you would console others)
* 3 Teaspoons each of Hope, Kindness, and Faith

Method: Sift Self Love with Self Worth. Slowly add Self Belief (if necessary, add more, you can never have too much). Promptly incorporate Hope Kindness and Faith until rich. Enjoy and accept your enjoyment. But practice, and be patience, each batch may most likely be one of it's own.

Om (Aum) is the Hindu or Yoga symbol of the Absolute. Chanting Om with hands placed in the universal form of prayer, gently pressing against the chest, allows a connection between Self, Consciousness, and Spirit.  Prayer may also be dedicated to a person, group, cause as hands open outward and/or upward while chanting Om.

Testing, testing

3, 4, 5...

Help again *please*? Does anything look different this time around?  Ability to subscribe? Links work? Attempted to feed rss through a separate tab on my wall.... any success?  Totally open to all feedback - thank you, thank you!!

Preferences - rss or atom feeds? Can you tell I'm a TOTAL newbie?!!

Testing, testing...

1, 2, 3

Rain, Rain...

go away...no wait PLEASE stay! The last few nights have been filled with such delightful rain. I love it, love it, love it, love it! Of course, plan ahead so you don't have to leave home and enjoy. For whatever reason, a rainy day without a long list of to-do's is one of the most relaxing pleasures.  One of my absolute favorite 'simples'.

My Life {today}

smile, laugh, love, learn, glow, anger, inspire, create, dance, sing, joy, cry, be, hurt, friends, freedom, cheer, breathe, peace, family, happiness.
to live.