Guest guest Posted February 4, 2007 Report Share Posted February 4, 2007 That is a great phrase, Michele, and I think (LOL) really appropriate. I also call those private summers " power surges " . They do get you motivate, that is for sure. I have a Maxine calendar that says " Just think of hot flashes as your inner child playing with matches. " Sure seems to describe it for me. Jan K Michele Gately tinkkerbelle2002@...> wrote: Dear Norma, Thank you for sharing such a beautiful passage with us all. How true it is!!! I so agree with what it teaches.. I remember hearing people complaining about rain one day and thinking to myself, if thats all you have to complain about, how sad! I love the quote " private summers " , may I use it?? Sounds so much more adorable than " HOT FLASH " ! lololol Thanks again Norma and peace and prayers to you as well! Michele Lori Wadsworth stickmanslady@...> wrote: very beautiful Re: Breathing In and Out Beautiful... Thanks for sharing with the group! > > A friend sent this to me and I think it is wonderful. > > Breathing in and Out > > Before cancer, many of us go through life pretty > clueless. I know I did. I worried about things that > seem trivial now: a petty difference with a co- > worker, irritation over a spill on the carpet, too > many things to do and too few hours in the day to do > them. I spent my days running around and making myself > crazy over the smallest details. > > After my diagnosis and throughout most of my > treatment, I went back and forth from borderline > hysteria to resignation and depression. > > Then one day, for the first time in many months, I was > feeling physically strong enough to take on a few > errands by myself. I went to the post office to buy > stamps. > > As I stood in the long line a little weak in the > knees, and more than a bit queasy in the stomach I > began to feel rather proud of myself. I thought I have > been through so much in the last year. I have been > sicker than I ever thought a human being could be and > still be alive, but here I am. I am still standing, I am > doing things for myself again and, hey, this feels > pretty good! > > Then I noticed that two women ahead of me were > becoming very agitated and vocal about the long, > slow-moving line. They began complaining loudly that > they had better things to do than wait in line at the > post office all day. > > I thought about that for a minute and then asked > myself, Do I have anything better to do today than what > I'm doing right this minute? Do I have anything better > to do than just be alive and grateful? And then the > answer: Nope. > > That's when it happened. I felt myself begin to glow. > Today I tell people that it was either an epiphany or > the mother of all hot flashes (what we in the South > call private summers), but whatever it was, it was > powerful and life-altering. So I just stood there, > basking in its warmth, and I slowly began to > understand some important truths: This moment is all I > have. And in this moment, there is nothing I really > have to do except breathe in, breathe out and say > Thank you! > > I wanted to say something to the two women. I wanted > to ask them if they had any idea how lucky they were > to be able to stand there in that line, if they knew > how many people would gladly change places with them, > if they even had a clue what a priceless gift it is to > be able to stand in a line and buy stamps all by > yourself! But of course I didn't. > > Many people argue that there is nothing good that > comes of the cancer experience. I disagree. I believe > that, if we allow it to, cancer can bring us many > gifts. One of the gifts of cancer is the gift of > patience. I no longer sweat the small stuff. I don't > allow petty differences with co-workers to even > happen. If there are people who are confrontational or > negative, I can choose to keep my distance from them. > A spill on the carpet is laughable. My response to > most things is, So what? In the grand scheme of > things, how important is it really? Most of the time, > the answer is that its not important at all. > > Dear God, help me to remember that this moment is all > that any of us has, whether we are cancer survivors or > not. Our lives are in Your hands, and every day we are > alive is a gift filled with new possibilities and > opportunities. All we have to do is open Your > " present " . And please help me to remember that there > is nothing I have to do that is more important than > breathing in and breathing out and thanking you for > the fact that I am alive today. Amen > Norma in N. TX > __________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Music Unlimited Access over 1 million songs. http://music.yahoo.com/unlimited Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 4, 2007 Report Share Posted February 4, 2007 I think I'll have to go with the whole " inner child playing with matches " . I'm seeing that as most applicable in my little world here considering my face, neck, and chest immediately turn fire engine red when I have one of my $&%#^ private summers (grrr). Yep, no discretion for me it's just... HEY EVERYBODY LOOK AT HOLLY HOT FLASH OVER THERE - BOY IS SHE RED! There have been several occasions I am so well lit from within (by said child) that I have wondered about the whole spontaneous combustion issue and seriously considered asking civilians to clear the surrounding area just in case (hey you never know, you know?)... - Jen : ) smiles from Alabama Stage 1c, Grade 3, ER- HER2+ Lumpectomy, SLNB, Mastectomy Diagnosed: 7/2006 (1st Mammo) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 4, 2007 Report Share Posted February 4, 2007 Back before cancer for me, I had a partial hysterectomy. My ovaries still remain. However, this threw me into menopause about three year later. I had no idea anything was coming. I had not been put on hormone therapy at that time. I was in my second year of teaching vocal & instrumental music. During 8th grade chorus in the middle of an extremely snow filled, cold day in January my first power surge hit----really hard. Right in the middle of class, I started feeling a furnace heat up, sweat starting pouring now my face from the top of my head! I get moping up the sweat from my brow, but finally I had to take a break and the kids got a study hall. I asked my accompanist whether she was hot. She said no, she was cold. I told her I was burning up. She kind of smirked and said, " I think you just had your first hot flash. Welcome to menopause. " Boy! Was she ever right. It wasn't long till I started hormone therapy. I was 38 at the time. One of those experiences that I can now laugh about but it sure wasn't pleasant at the time. I truly understand internal combustion. Jan K Jen jbuzzard@...> wrote: I think I'll have to go with the whole " inner child playing with matches " . I'm seeing that as most applicable in my little world here considering my face, neck, and chest immediately turn fire engine red when I have one of my $&%#^ private summers (grrr). Yep, no discretion for me it's just... HEY EVERYBODY LOOK AT HOLLY HOT FLASH OVER THERE - BOY IS SHE RED! There have been several occasions I am so well lit from within (by said child) that I have wondered about the whole spontaneous combustion issue and seriously considered asking civilians to clear the surrounding area just in case (hey you never know, you know?)... - Jen : ) smiles from Alabama Stage 1c, Grade 3, ER- HER2+ Lumpectomy, SLNB, Mastectomy Diagnosed: 7/2006 (1st Mammo) Jan Koelsch --------------------------------- 8:00? 8:25? 8:40? Find a flick in no time with theYahoo! Search movie showtime shortcut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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