Gratitude

I am filled with gratitude to all those people who have taken me this far. The doctors with their staffs who diligently monitored and treated my breast cancer. To the agencies who helped me navigate this new and uncharted territory. To all my friends who have prayed and stayed close by without fear they might have to be involved. I am grateful also for the weekly phone calls from all over the world from friends who couldn't be close by but kept a constant vigil. To the generosity of friends and strangers who financially filled in where they could.

If I ever thought that I was an island cancer has proved me wrong. If I ever thought I liked being alone I don't. If I ever was confident I could handle anything thrown at me on my own I couldn't. So while compared to most I did go through a lot of my treatment on my own power I realize that to focus on that does not allow me to give credit to those who were there.

Only those of us who have been in the trenches trying to manage this disease understand how really overwhelming it is. It is a long grueling battle that makes no promises or gives any guarantees. There were days when I just prayed for normal, for a lunch out or a trip to a museum or a movie where I didn't have to be the patient. I could become lost in the crowd and not feel like I was on display.

So, remember even though we are fighting for our lives we still like to have fun and close relationships. We still are the same wacky people we always were, now there is just an extra challenge in the mix. To those of you who walk this journey with us thank you. Thank you for your kindness, warm hugs and the true generosity of your kind spirit.


Celeste