Photo courtesy of rgbstock.com and Photonut
On this very last day of the year, I want to first of all share my gratitude for the people with whom I’ve become connected via this blog. You know who you are – women of spirit, intelligence, passion, and wit.
It’s been a wild and woolly year! We’ve had ups and downs, we’ve cried together and laughed our asses off at some pretty ridiculous things. And we’ve lost our tempers over the state of the health care system, “pinkwashing” and other assorted breast cancer frustrations.
So many of you have shared your breast cancer journey with me – you had no idea who I was REALLY (other than as stated on this blog) but you gathered your courage and shared so much with me and I am truly grateful.
I have done my best to help you in your quest for health. I hoped to gently usher you in the direction you wanted to go – not wanting or intending to steer, but only to provide you with the information you needed to help you decide your own course. I hope that I have been of some assistance in that regard.
Together we have navigated the murky waters of BC and I’ve probably learned as much from you as you have from me. I am so grateful for your presence in my life.
My Wish For You For 2013
I hope that through your journey with breast cancer, you find your authentic self. Breast cancer changes you, certainly, and you will not arrive at the shores of Authenticity the same woman who left.
I wish for you to find peace. A little heaven on earth. Some romance and love. A soul-mate. A reawakening of forgotten desires. Delicious feasts with loved ones. Bouquets of flowers. Sticky kisses from beloved children and grandchildren. Long days in secret gardens with bare feet and a cold stream. Travel to exotic places. A parting of the mists of uncertainty so that courage and your special power can be claimed and wrapped around you like a favorite shawl.
A metamorphosis into your authentic self can be a little painful at times, but oh so joyous when you arrive.
Happy New Year – may your 2013 be extraordinary!
Maroon Bells Wilderness, Aspen, Colorado
After having several days off, now I’m having an “off” day.
My husband and I have just returned from a few days away – we were in Aspen, Colorado, which has to be one of the most gorgeous spots on earth, as evidenced by the photo I’ve posted today.
So good to get away – to breathe in different air, to view the world from another angle, to hear the silence of nature.
We did some hiking – one trail took us up to around 10,000 ft above sea level. It was so peaceful up there, and I find that sort of peace to be a balm to my soul.
You cannot experience that kind of peace anywhere else because it exudes from the earth, the rocks and the trees, and engulfs you in a peaceful embrace.
I highly recommend it for anyone who is going through breast cancer right now – get yourself into a beautiful location for a little while. Breathe in that peace. Your immune system will love you for it.
Now here I am sitting in my office and wishing I was back there. I wasn’t quite ready to leave it.
To make matters worse, at lunchtime today I was cutting up some basil and managed to chop the tip off one of my fingers. That makes typing hard, hence the brevity of this post.
I really should have stayed in the forest.
If you’d like to stay connected, sign up for my free e-newsletters on the right, or “like” me on Facebook (MarnieClark.com) and I’ll do my utmost to keep you informed and empowered on your healing journey… and beyond.
While writing my blog articles, I do a lot of Internet surfing and I see a lot of different sites. My favorite blog lately is http://thesilverpen.com so I thought I’d share it with you today, especially since my latest blogs have been pretty heavy going.
Written by Hollye Jacobs, a fellow breast cancer survivor, Hollye describes her blog as being “a way for me to document the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and oftentimes hilarious journey through, with, over and around breast cancer. One year later I’m still in recovery but now on a journey to find Silver Linings in all aspects of life.”
I love that – Silver Linings. A wonderful way to look at life.
Every time I head over to Hollye’s site, I’m in awe. It has an elegant feel to it – you might read an inspirational thought from Seneca, or a discussion of a book that she liked, or there could be something about gardening or stillness.
Today’s post is about Oscar de la Renta’s gardens in the Dominican Republic and there are some gorgeous photographs – the kind you can lose yourself in.
Head over there and take a look (you can use the link at the top of this page). Thank you, Hollye. Love your work and your words of wisdom. I even love the occasional “f bomb”.
If you’d like to stay connected, sign up for my free e-newsletters on the right, or “like” me on Facebook (MarnieClark.com) and I’ll do my utmost to keep you informed and empowered on your healing journey… and beyond.
If you are feeling that everything is unsettled right now – from your relationships to your health to your financial affairs – it’s not your imagination and you’re not alone.
Even the calmest of my healer friends is saying things are intense right now. I’ve gathered information from astrologists, one who works with angels, another who blogs about the metaphysical and all are in agreement – we’re having a shake-up.
I don’t confess to understand it – words like “the Moon in early Cancer completes a cardinal grand cross with Mars, Pluto and Uranus” mean absolutely nothing to me!
And I confess to being somewhat skeptical. It all sounds like a lot of mumbo jumbo to me. Still…
What is undeniable is that we ARE going through a major shift of some sort. My husband and I don’t argue much – after 36 years of marriage, we are pretty much in accord and know each other’s minds inside and out. But there have been some major arguments lately – loud, rip roaring arguments! Afterward I ask myself “where on earth did that come from???” – perhaps I should be asking “where in the cosmos did that come from?”.
We’re not the only ones, either. Friends, family, my blog subscribers – everyone seems to be noticing the “unsettledness” of their lives right now. Also feelings of being tired, even lethargic, of having lost focus, and feeling frustration are not unusual.
Today’s blog at http://planetwaves.net – the top astrology blog according to “Blogrank”, has this to say: “You might feel varying degrees of anticipation/pressure/frustration, something associated with the Cancer Moon picking up so many planets so different from itself; you might experience a sense of relief, vulnerability and a sense of newness — even confidence — as the week progresses.”
That’s good to know – there’s hope in sight… ?
Coping With Unsettled Times
With thoughts of my friends who are going through breast cancer right now AND dealing with these unsettled times, here are some suggestions for coping:
- Be aware of your feelings – if you’re feeling overwhelmed, meditation often helps. Take some time out for yourself.
- Try not to dwell on negative feelings – positive affirmations help immensely.
- Maintain a normal routine – there is a feeling of security in routine that helps you when you are dealing with unsettled times.
- Get out of your head – seeing a movie, listening to music, or reading a favorite book can help make you feel less gloomy.
- Take care of yourself – go get a massage, or indulge in some aromatherapy – both are very calming and centering to the nervous system.
- Do something positive to help others – contributing to the community helps us feel more in control and gets us focused on something else.
- Limit your television time – while it is important to stay informed, watching endless war coverage is likely to heighten your anxiety.
If you’d like to stay connected, sign up for my free e-newsletters on the right, or “like” me on Facebook (MarnieClark.com) and I’ll do my utmost to keep you informed and empowered on your healing journey.
My lovely father
I just found out that Memorial Day started off as “Decoration Day”, which originated after the Civil War to commemorate fallen Union soldiers.
Regardless of your feelings about war and its horrors or the policy makers who promote them, this weekend is a time to honor the men and women who have put their blood, sweat and tears into keeping this country safe.
My father served in the Pacific in World War II and my grandfather served in the trenches of World War I. Both of them were very good men and neither of them much given to talking about their war experiences, except for just once. My dad once told me how music had saved his life and I’d like to share that story with you.
My dad was in the US Navy and while I don’t know which ship, he told me he had a friend in sick bay. Every afternoon, it was his routine to go and visit his sick friend and they’d sit and talk for awhile. On this one particular day, however, rather than going to sick bay, my dad was really itching to have some time with his guitar – a small one that he’d brought along with him on board. While he was sitting and quietly strumming his guitar, a Japanese kamikaze plane hit the side of the ship, killing and injuring just about everyone who was in the sick bay. If he’d been there, he would have died as well.
That story really made me think. What if he’d denied himself that little bit of time with his beloved guitar? That story still serves as a reminder to me – the biggest thing I took away from it is how precious our time is, how we really shouldn’t deny ourselves little pleasures, how listening to that inner voice serves us so well.
I never got the chance to say “Thanks” to my dad for his Navy service, but he probably wouldn’t have expected it. He was a great father, he died in 1996 in his 80′s. I still miss him. I still miss my grandfather too, another amazing man.
So to all of those service people I’d like to say a hearty thank you for all that you do. It doesn’t go unnoticed. We appreciate you.
Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net and Idea go
I was so inspired by this lovely story – a portrait of a breast cancer survivor named Victoria Behm, who is a NYC artist. She was diagnosed at the age of 57 with the exact same kind of breast cancer I had.
She made an illustrated notebook of her nine-month journey through breast cancer treatment – see her whole story HERE, along with some of her amazing artwork. I loved this story because it brought such an element of personal triumph over her breast cancer diagnosis. I loved her artwork (some of it will make you laugh, especially slide 9) and I especially loved that she’s a survivor.
Enjoy the story and for those of you actively fighting this disease, remember the words of Winston Churchill:
“If you’re going through hell, KEEP GOING“!!!!!!
I send my love to everyone taking this journey right now. If you would like my help with getting through breast cancer in an inspiring and ultra-healthy way, please sign up for my free e-newsletters on the right, or “like” me on Facebook (MarnieClark.com) and I’ll do my utmost to keep you informed and empowered on your healing journey… and beyond.
Okay, my very first post on my breast health blog! Please let me NOT be boring!
I will begin by saying that my mission here is to be a source of guidance, information, love and support for all in their healing journey. If I only help ONE, I will consider this a success.
I would very much like to hear from my readers regularly – let me know what you’re thinking, what you want to know about, and feel free to email me at: info@marnieclark.com to get that information.
To get the ball rolling, I’d love to have you join my e-newsletter list. I’ve got some fabulous information available for you and when you sign up, you receive my report on the 21 things I found crucial to my return to good health 8 years ago when I first got a breast cancer diagnosis. If that doesn’t entice you, I’m also throwing in my report “24 Ways to Decrease Your Cancer Risk”.
You can also subscribe to my RSS feed (that means every time I post here you’ll be notified).
Warmest regards,
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