Life After Cancer

 

                            Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.

With grateful hearts the past we own;

  The future, all to us unknown,
  We to Thy guardian care commit,
  And peaceful leave before Thy feet.
P. DODDRIDGE

When I began my channel on YouTube, I held such high intentions and expectations. I thought I would find other cancer survivors either with their own channels or just as subscribers. In reality, it didn't happen.

There is something about that word cancer that can upset people real fast. They fear it. They don't want the diagnosis, anything, but that. The name of my blog itself turned people off to what I had to offer. 

There was something else that I found surprising in my search for other survivors. People wanted to forget their experience altogether and move on as if nothing happened at all.

Why?

I don't want to forget. I have learned so much about myself, my body. So much good has come from this experience, so why would I want to forget? Now, I am not brooding about that experience. In fact, I am grateful. It has kept me focused and determined to live out the life I was meant to live. 

We always seem to remember the bad moments first before we even acknowledge all the good that happened. I have read the other day that yesterday's misery can become today's credentials. How absolutely true. If only we were not afraid to go to that place and share it with others who are going through it for the first time. Pain is pain and I get it, but there are people out there who could really benefit from your knowledge and wisdom.

My life certainly has changed and many times over. It keeps changing every couple of years. Just when I overcome one fear or another, something new comes up to learn. Isn't that what life is all about? Experiencing it? Living each moment? Having a chronic illness makes it so much more valuable this thing we call time. So why not enjoy it?

Have a blessed day everyone.

Simply Self Care

 

                                  Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.

Trials must and will befall;

But with humble faith to see
Love inscribed upon them all,
This is happiness to me.
W. COWPER.

I have a huge respect for life, things and people that attribute to living life fully. They have developed a technique for a well-balanced life between work and personal activities. This is something I have struggled with for years. Finding that balance has not always been easy, but I will do my very best and simply keeping trying.

This year, I have made it a point to try harder than ever before. Life certainly has been very unpredictable and I am becoming too old for all these sudden changes. My body craves good ole boring stability. 

One of the ways I plan on accomplishing some of this balance will be my implementation of basic ideas to reduce the stress. It truly is the little things that make the difference. Small, yet very significant changes that can bring more harmony in my life.

A Nesting Day is something I have started a little over a year ago. It is a time that I use for the sole purpose of renewal. It could be a day or even a weekend, it really doesn't matter. It is a personal day where I wear my comfy clothes and lock myself inside to enjoy doing whatever brings me joy. For me, it is usually crocheting and binge-watching Netflix.

Scheduling and organizing is a new goal . . . sort of. It's true that I have spent the last several years decluttering, but I find it is an ongoing project. One can never be completely done. We are always bringing things in, more than we are taking them out. My aim here is to be better organized so things could go more smoothly, especially when it comes to all my extracurricular activities such as my Ministry, blogging and YouTube.

Journaling is something I have absolutely no experience in whatsoever. Yet, I am drawn to it. I want to create a memory journal of my year. Does that sound a bit crazy? Probably and I most likely will make a mess of it, but I will give it my best shot. It is a well- known fact that drawing and coloring are very relaxing.

Finally, beauty care involves getting out there to the hairdressers or getting a massage. Maybe taking a nap in the middle of the day or having a facial at home. It's the little things we like to do with our appearance that make us feel special. 

There are so many things out there designed for the very purpose of stress relief. My daughter loves to diffuse essential oils mixing different blends to set the mood. For another could be a glass of wine or cup of tea. Whatever that "thing" may be has no bearing at all. What matters is the effect it has on our mental and physical health. Afterall, everyone has different needs and different stresses in their lives. Find the ones that work for you and enjoy them as much as you can!

Have a blessed day everyone.

beautycare

Time To Move On

 

                           Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.

Whatever God does is well!

In patience let us wait;
He doth Himself our burdens bear,
He doth for us take care,
And He, our God, knows all our weary days.
Come, give Him praise.
B. SCHMOLCK

Time waits for no man is a saying we all have heard at one time or another. The meaning couldn't be any clearer to me than the phase that I am in right now. Moving forward is something we all must do not only as a society, but also for our mental well-being. 

We cannot stay in the exact same spot. We should always be growing and maturing spiritually, physically and emotionally. We know this, we learn this and do our best to accomplish this feat by making an effort to join groups or read books on it.

There is also another part to it where we can become stagnate in our procrastination to a situation and at times, refusal to move out of that situation. We like to cling to what we think is safe and familiar. Perhaps we are waiting on someone or something to happen. We become afraid to take that step needed to let go and move forward. 

We hold on, we cling to and fear what may come next. We ask ourselves what if questions and soon doubt clouds our decisions. We also may think we have all the time in the world to move. Time truly flies by and before we know it, things have passed us by.

Moving on, at times, involves leaving things behind. Things that may have hurt us. People come and go in our lives like a revolving door in a supermarket. Sometimes, we meet them further up on our path. Sometimes not. The point is that we cannot stop living, because the world is always turning. Making that decision, that choice to do so can be instrumental in the next phase of your life whatever it may be. The point is to actually make it. Remember, time waits for no man.

Have a blessed day everyone.