I thought I might recall some of my more profound comments from this blog (Andrew's Blog) which got me started on my own blog. These entries are important because I related so well to this guy. He is a singer in a favorite band of mine and he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (Cancer) in August of 2005. I used his blog in a sense as therapy for dealing with my own mother's battle and eventual loss to Breast Cancer when I was 16 yrs. old in 1989.
Here are some of my comments . . . .
August 2, 2005 --
It always amazes me how we can find out just how strong we really are when faced with such challenges. I was just listening to ‘Bruised’ and I may have a new favorite, it’s weird though, I had the blog site stream on in the background and it seemed to fit as background noise. It gave me some chills :)
I agree about the world around us being in constant circular motion, funny thing is it never stops for us to catch up. I always thought the title ‘Everything In Transit’ meant the transition our lives go through as it changes with or without our knowledge or permission. Everything sometimes seems to end up completely opposite of where we would want it until we are there, in the thick of it, and realize this is where we should have been headed all along.
I know, a very long thought, 'but it’s true, for the most part'.
August 13, 2005 --
There are a few comments here requesting you write a book, well I agree; although, I think it should be a book of poetry. The way you put words together in a sentence is pure eloquence. There is so much said using so little words, what you say indirectly is easily conveyed.
It seems you are coming around a very long bend in this road you are on and the sun is shining and sky is clearing. The warmth is enveloping you and the smiles are true. Enjoy this feeling of triumph, for it will only get stronger as your body starts to heal and once again work properly. It is true, these trials in our lives can hold us down if we let them, the trick, however, is to not. For every bad and negative experience, the lessons can be 100 fold if we embrace them and learn what we can. I know you know this; it is evident in yours words and presentation. Keep this attitude; it is what makes you strong.
Your words have inspired me greatly, more than I can convey.
December 21, 2005 --
Oh, the sound of a humming dryer, it is glorious and somewhat transfixing. You can slowly go into a wonderful trance while listening to a dryer do its work. The scent of the drying clothes is quite mind numbing as well.
The holidays are my favorite and least favorite time of year. Living in Calgary, Alberta, we get extremely cold weather, so winter 'anything' is not a favorite. However, this year, it seems we may have a brown Christmas with temperatures above freezing. It’s absolutely marvelous. If I haven’t been completely clear --- I abhor cold weather, snow, ice and wind chills. I don’t know if anyone really enjoys these elements of our atmosphere, some just tolerate it better than I do.
Christmas is a great excuse to spend real time with family and friends you don’t get to see very often. Not that we should need an excuse, but it’s a great one. I’m lucky this year in that I don’t have to travel very far.
Plastic trees are the best, you can have them up longer then real ones and there aren’t any needles to clean up later. Did you know they have plastic trees scented with evergreen now?? This seems crazy and cool at the same time. Mine is plastic with White lights,and Silver and clear decorations.
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This is just something my friend Kya Woodruff forwarded to me and I thought he might enjoy and appreciate --
“Recently I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the mother said "I love you and I wish you enough"
The daughter replied, "Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Mom"
They kissed and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy but she welcomed me in by asking "Did you ever say goodbye to someone knowing it would be forever?"
"Yes, I have," I replied. "Forgive me for asking but why is this a forever goodbye?"
"I am old and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is -- the next trip back will be for my funeral" she said.
"When you were saying goodbye, I heard you say 'I wish you enough'. May I ask what that means?" She began to smile "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone".
She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail and she smiled even more. "When we said 'I wish you enough' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them".
Then turning toward me she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory --
"I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright. I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more. I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive. I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger. I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess. I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye." She then began to cry and walked away.
They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them.
TAKE TIME TO LIVE..... I WISH YOU ENOUGH...
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