I am at this place in my life, where I have a love hate relationship with the phone. It keeps us in touch with people and for that I am grateful. It allows me to talk to my friends, family members, and others. However, lately it has also been the vehicle through which we have received challenging news. August 5th, Zoe got a call telling her that she had breast cancer. This morning, August 15th, she got a call letting her know she needs another biopsy because they found a lump in her right breast as well. In the midst of this all, I am consciously remaining grateful. I have had those moments when I find the tears rolling down my face and of course that means I have to blow my nose 17 times :(, however, it is the best I can do at this moment.
In the midst of dealing with all this, I am battling for my own independence since the paratransit services to my town were cut off and I was given 0 days notice. Zoe, my wife, and friends remind me to stay encouraged about how much I have been able to accomplish since they notified me by phone my services have been virtually elminated. I have been in touch with all the politicians in this area, gotten a story done about the situation on one of the news stations. I have also gotten 23 people organized to help plan an action against the paratransit service provider for our area. The transitional living advisors keep telling me I have already done everything they could think of to do.
As i am writing this, I find myself thinking about how it is during these moments when you feel as if life sucks that it becomes most important to focus on that which I have to be grateful for. I am grateful for my wife who daily teaches me what it is like to be loved unconditionally. I am grateful for my friends and family who have surrounded us with love, light, positive energy and prayer. I am grateful for out strength, courage and faith which will bring us through this and all battles. I am grateful for the ability to breathe myself into a state of calmness and peace when I feel the waves of stress coming over me.
I am grateful that I have so many things and people in my life that fill me with positive energy. Even writing my reflections and the other daily food for thought is feeding me as much as I hope it is feeding others. Interacting with my students in my online classes where I teach and even my spiritual evolution groups, online and onsight, feed me as well.
I am grateful for the technology which has found these spots and for the wisdom, medicine, and technology that will be able to help my wife batthle this cancer. I am grateful for the support groups that are available for those who are battling cancer in their lives. I know we weill both make it through all these storms as well as the others that will come. As Miley Cyrus sings about in her song, The Climb, there is always going to be another mountain. It is not about the mountain, but about the climb. So we keep climbing in faith, claiming healing, claiming restoration of my paratransit services, claiming peace and claiming restored health and well being.
Finally, right now I am grateful because I know this too will pass. There will come another stage in our life when we have survived all of this. I know that day is coming. Until then, we are taking it one moment at a time, staying focused on the positive, and not letting these struggles tear or wear us down.