Thursday, July 31, 2008

The MS Bike Tour

You would think that at my age I would be beyond being influenced by peer pressure! Yet I somehow found myself talked into biking 150km from Ottawa to Kemptville in the MS Bike tour in just over a week from now.

Last Friday I did 60 km and I’m not sure I would have been up for doing the same thing the following day. No speed goals – I’m just hoping that the energy of the group will spirit me on and, even if they are waiting for me with flashlights at the finish line at midnight, I’ll complete it.

If you would like to make a pledge in support of the MS society, click on Pledge Me Online.

Monday, July 7, 2008

Every day is a bonus!

In 1998 I met a group of women that have become like sisters to me – my ”bosom buddies”, as we call ourselves. We met in a group called Healing Circles and continued to stay connected over the years in ways that go well beyond the boundaries of a defined support group. We’ve shared joys, sorrows, medical advice, the painful loss of some of the members of our circle, and renewal through the recent birth of a grandbaby.

I spent yesterday at a cottage with one of my bosom buddy sisters, Patricia, who is visiting from Victoria. After a wonderful swim and some catch-up time, she agreed to let me interview her for my blog. (Watch for a posting at a later date). As I listened to Patricia’s answers to my questions about how she is coping with her current situation, I couldn’t help but do some reflecting of my own.

As sometimes happens when someone talks to a friend that they can trust -- someone who knows them well enough to not be freaked out by it -- the topic of death came up. It’s not that we dwell on it, but anyone who has had cancer knows that it’s a fact of life that looms big at times, whether you are able to talk about it or not.

What occurred to me during our conversation is that I’ve had a shift since my cancer returned. I used to think that fear of dying would be a huge focus for me if my cancer ever came back, and yet the biggest change has been that I’m much more focused on living now than I ever was before. I’ve had cancer return and I’m still going strong! Every day is a bonus!
”Every man dies – Not every man really lives. ”

William Ross Wallace