|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Sunday, June 29, 2008 Geese OK … this is a stretch but work with me. I recently read a quote by Oswald Chambers – “Your reach must exceed your grasp” – and thought about how Gary and I have several dreams that we’re working toward that seem way beyond our grasp … but we’re simple enough to believe that if they’re God-inspired, then they’ll happen.
So … what do geese and “exceeding our grasp” have in common? It’s the sound of geese that brings to mind road trips and adventure … and what Gary and I dream of doing involves road trips and adventure. We want to take our tag-team presentation on the road … and get our collection of cancer hero stories published … and eventually have a place in the country with snow-capped mountain views and hiking trails where people can come and be refreshed and catch a vision of purposeful things they can do with the rest of their lives. A place where geese will honk overhead.
Every time I hear that beautiful, melancholy sound, my spirits are lifted and I’m reminded that anything is possible, that the sky’s the limit.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008 Road trip Gary and I got home today from a busy 4-day weekend. We were in Idaho to see his family and to meet with the Cancer Services staff at St. Alphonsus Medical Center (fondly referred to as St. Al’s). We also had an invitation to speak to a group of survivors in Burns, Oregon on our way home.
We drove down into Boise on Sunday to stay with Gary’s mom. She reminisced about her childhood – growing up as one of nine children on a farm in northeastern Arkansas. She met her husband-to-be, Jack, when he came to Arkansas to help move his family out West. Not too long afterward he proposed in a letter. She told him she wasn’t sure … but he showed up to marry her anyway. They were happily married with five children until Jack died way too young of a heart attack.
St. Al's. Gary and I had a Monday afternoon appointment at St. Al’s Cancer Treatment Center. We met with three of their staff members – a chaplain, social worker and cancer care guide. They were very warm and personable, the kind of people you’d like to have on your team if you were ever told you had cancer. We ran through our presentation, answered their questions, and were invited to return in the fall to present to their survivor group.
Harney District. The original reason for this trip was an invitation to speak to a group of cancer survivors at Harney District Hospital in Burns. Eastern Oregon is a vast, high desert region considered by some to be the nation’s last frontier. We have come to appreciate the beauty and hardiness of this farm and ranch country and the group of cancer survivors we met last night – along with Tammy, their leader – mirror that beauty and tenacity.
We love road trips … and we love sharing our story if it will encourage other survivors to get plugged in and become proactive in battling cancer. Here’s to many more road trips and meeting many more terrific people!
Friday, June 20, 2008 Friday night date Usually around the middle of each week, Gary asks, “So what are we going to do for our Friday date this week?” I love it when he talks that way!
One of our dating rules is we have to save up something interesting that happened during the week to tell each other. I can never save up anything … I always tell Gary the same day that anything interesting happens.
We walked along the river after dinner and then came home to do laundry and pack for our trip to Idaho tomorrow morning. Gary says we’re leaving early. Early on a weekday morning is 5:00am, but early on Saturday is much later, right?
When it comes to road trips, Gary is a man on a mission. For him, the object isn't necessarily to enjoy the trip along the way, but to get there. And so tomorrow we’ll leave early for Idaho and we’ll get there. Which means I’d better go pack.
Monday, June 16, 2008 Tough day on the job
Test ride a convertible Beamer? Are you kidding? Of course!
Today was the day the fleet of 25 Ultimate Drive BMWs came to Bend on its tour across the country. For every mile test-driven, BMW North America donates $1 to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. In the eleven years BMW has been partnering with Komen, they’ve donated nearly $12 million.
Riding around in BMW convertibles ... my job is a tough one, but someone has to do it.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
We were tired after the 7½-mile hike, but a good sort of tired. I can’t think of a better way to spend Father’s Day when one’s children live so far away. Which brings me to Gary, the father of those children. I think one of the nicest things I can say about Gary is that he’s the same at home as he is in public. For nearly 35 years he has been consistently kind and thoughtful; he has always put me and the kids first; he has kept me laughing with his dry sense of humor. What more could a girl ask for?!
Happy Father’s Day, honey, to the best dad and husband I know!
Friday, June 13, 2008 Confession It’s Friday morning at 8:00 and I’m still in my pajamas. I have too many hours at work this week so I'm going in a little late.
It promises to be a gorgeous day after an extra lonnngg winter. The nearby Cascade Mountains got another dumping of snow this week and it’s been in the low 30s overnight here in town, which is driving our local gardeners crazy.
I have a confession to make: I don’t mind the cold or the gray skies.
I have a friend who calls me the winter woman. It’s because I love the snow … and a fire burning in the fireplace … and the smell of homemade soup simmering … and Christmas lights … and baking on a cold winter day … and snowshoeing and … well, you get the point.
It’s not that I don’t like the sunshine, but if it would just stay in the 70s and 80s all summer I’d be perfectly content. It’s hard coming home after work and heating the place up cooking dinner. I could live on fresh fruit and yogurt for dinner all summer, but Gary is much more demanding.
This morning I discovered another reason why I’m sorry to see winter make her exit. Dust. It stays hidden during the winter and spring days and now all of a sudden it’s everywhere. (The fact that I haven’t dusted in weeks might have something to do with it.) Sigh.
I need to stop and get ready for work, but this afternoon I will pull out my dusting supplies, put shorts on over these glaring white legs, and go forth into the sunshine and enjoy this day! Hope you do, too.
P.S. Happy birthday to our son, Jeremy, who along with Denise will be enjoying Diamondbacks stadium fireworks and a birthday dinner with friends from the roof of their downtown Phoenix apartment!
Monday, June 09, 2008 Light bulb moment I’ve had an epiphany since yesterday’s blog. While I was journaling this morning, it hit me that it’s not just about wanting to live near our children; it’s about wanting to impact others as a family.
We raised our two children to take their interests and skills and look for something to do with their lives that would benefit others. Our son, Jeremy, had his own darkroom in high school and I remember conversations with him about what it would look like to use his photography skills to make a difference in the world. Jeremy and his wife, Denise, had opportunity to travel to Uganda where they shot video and still photos in orphanages. They came home with the vision of raising funds to help older orphans get a secondary education or learn a trade; to help fund the placement of African orphans in American families, keeping siblings together as much as possible.
Our son-in-law, Josh, is a pastor with a gift for teaching and life coaching. Together with a friend, he has produced some professional “visual aid” videos. Our daughter, Summer, is very family-oriented and insightful and loves to write. She isn’t shy about sharing her opinions; give her any topic and she’ll tell you what she thinks!
And of course Gary and I—because we could have used some encouragement and guidance when we were just beginning our cancer journey—have a passion to encourage newly-diagnosed cancer patients in a variety of practical ways.
What would it look like to have some sort of family non-profit? Perhaps a guest ranch that could be used for various activities – where newly-diagnosed cancer patients could get started on a moderate exercise regime and learn how to cook nutritious meals; where families of adopted African orphans could enjoy the great outdoors, share their experiences, and learn a little more about the African culture out of which their child(ren) came; where life coaching and parenting/family skills could be taught through seminars and Internet writing and video venues. Actually, the possibilities are endless.
We want our grandchildren to grow up thinking this is the most normal way to live – to spend one’s life giving back to the hurting and discouraged and less fortunate. Which is part of why I'd love to have them all underfoot!
Sunday, June 08, 2008 HomesickI’m writing this from the Chicago O’Hare Airport. I’ve been teary-eyed ever since Summer dropped me off in Philly early this morning and I took one last peak at Lydia, our Sleeping Beauty. I’m OK emotionally if I don’t think about how far away we live from them. But the minute I start thinking, the tears roll down my cheeks. Even now.
Lilly and I gave each other pedicures, and while she was in school Titus and I visited the playground where squirrels played hide and seek and ducks landed in the nearby swimming pool.
live is littered with lovely old homes with large front porches. Gary and I would take the top floor because we would want the exercise. Summer claimed the bottom floor because she would have the most groceries to haul in. That leaves the second floor for Jeremy and Denise (fat chance of getting them to leave Arizona for New Jersey!).
There is an ache in my chest … a sort of homesickness, only I don’t know where I’m homesick for. I guess I’m just homesick to have husband, children and grands all gathered nearby. But Summer’s in-laws live in Des Moines and I’m sure they feel the same ache … and it’s just not possible to resolve all the aches of all the mothers in the world.
And so we accept our lot for now, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to keep scheming about ways to connect with our children and grandchildren as often as possible!
Sunday, June 01, 2008 Amazing volunteers I’m exhausted after this full weekend … but a good sort of exhausted. This year’s Heaven Can Wait 5K breast cancer walk/run had a record number of participants – over 3,200 – and raised several thousand dollars more than last year’s event.
After the dust has settled, the thing that stands out most in my mind is the volume of amazing volunteers who helped pull off such a successful event – many of them cancer survivors. I’d have to get out a calculator to add up the people who helped me with pre-race deliveries, mailings and phone calls; manned tables of give-away products and helped with merchandise sales; and showed up at the park early this morning to help set up under the big tent. There were dozens of people who helped with registration, procured food and prizes, marked the race course, emptied garbage cans and gave chair massages.
Gary, of course, shadowed me all weekend and even tried his hand at merchandise sales (he endeavored to convince more than one woman that the pink aprons with brown logos would make great Father’s Day gifts!). One of my volunteers – through with chemo but just beginning radiation – worked for several hours on Saturday and Sunday and then thanked me several times for letting her volunteer. Go figure!
Is our town of Bend blessed with an inordinate amount of giving people? Are cancer survivors especially big-hearted? Or is there something about working together in community toward a good cause that is part of living strong?
I think maybe all of the above.
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
