Here’s how it’s going to work. I will first share a few inspirational thoughts that I’d like you to open you mind to and absorb. Then, I will tell you a story. After that, comes an interpretation of that story with the somewhat hidden announcement. Finally, a request that will result in someone winning a surprise gift!! Are you on the edge of your seats or what?!?
Here we go! First, take a few really deep breaths. And a few more for good measure. This part has nothing to do with me or my blog. This is a reminder to take a few moments for yourself. Now that we are all in a calm and quiet place, here are the quotes to start us off:
Now, read them once more and apply at least one to your life. Jump, splash, get dirty, believe, show your kids what strength and faith means.
Story time! Most of you know the beginning of this story, so I’ll be quick about it.
Once upon a time, there was a girl. She was nice and friendly and wished the best for everyone she met. She fell for a boy and they decided to meander down life’s path together. They added a golden blonde crazy angel baby and the three of them skipped to their own beat, laughing along the way. Just as life was becoming sleepy and simple, another budding baby decided to join their little party. The girl and the boy laughed and told this sweet pea to come along! As they started to stretch their little world for a fourth friend, something else decided to climb aboard. This “something” wasn’t invited. This “something” had an ugly cloak and a bad reputation and had no friends to call its own. This “something” decided to sneak into the party, behind the shadows of the budding baby, hoping that it would go unnoticed. The girl was too smart to fall for such a scheme, and noticed its unfamiliar presence. Unfortunately, it had made a home already and refused to budge. The boy and the girl looked at each other in shock and a bit of worry. “What shall we do?” they asked each other. “Well,” said the girl, “I suppose we must go into the box that will tell us what to do, and wait for help.” The boy said he would follow any which way, no matter how high or low. So, they slowed their pace, and crawled into the box and waited. A flurry of white coats and silver instruments poked and prodded that “something”. It peered out with a scowl and ignored the request to vanish. Those white coats reassured the girl and boy that they knew exactly what to do. The little family of almost four donned their cloaks of bravery and followed closely behind the parade of knowledge. They marched to a steady beat, and were rewarded with many enthusiastic compliments of a job well done. Their march slowed to a crawl when their sweet, brunette cherub entered the world. They sighed with contentment when they looked at their expanded tribe of goodness and love. The girl was tired but oh so happy. After a peaceful spell outside the box, the girl stood back up and dragged herself and the “something” into the harsh light of fighting and conquering. She felt heavy and sad as she looked around the desolate land she had chosen. She missed the forest and the trees and the wild path that had a sense of unknown and was alive with possibilities. She couldn’t find her warmth because she had lost her hair and was so tired she couldn’t remember where. Her laughter had somehow shrunk and her joy was broken into tiny bits and pieces that she would stumble upon every once in a while. The girl felt ashamed and alarmed and thought she might have made a mistake.
Well, the Mother of all mothers heard her cry. She sweetly smiled a sunny smile and wrapped a blanket of tranquility around the girl and sang her a lullaby until she fell asleep. The Mother of all mothers opened the girl’s heavy suitcase and started to unload all the unnecessary pieces. She laid to rest all the doubt, anxiety, fear and uncertainty. The Mother of all mothers replaced them with little pockets of intuition and harmony. She folded blankets of courage and slippers of joy inside. When she was done, the girl awoke to the bag she had always dreamt of. She joyfully kissed the Mother of all mothers on each cheek and ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She cheerfully shouted to the boy and the golden angel and the brunette cherub to wake up! The girl unfolded a map that was full of everything she loved and knew. The map told them to skip and hop and laugh. The map showed them where to find the freshest spring water and the sweetest apples. The girl laughed in delight as she recognized her most favorite things of all time on that map. The little family of four linked arms and started forging their path along the mossy forest floor.
The story takes a few twists and turn, but you get to be included in the next part. The foursome was stopped not far ahead by the coats of white and the needles of silver. “You can’t go this way!”, they exclaimed. “You’ll get lost, you’ll get hurt, you’ll never be able to find your way back!”. The girl asked how they knew that. “Have you ever gone this way to see what is ahead?” she asked. They bellowed and hollered and shouted numbers and science and protocol at her. “But do you know where my path leads?” she enquired. The coats of white looked at each other and grimaced. “No, but we only have one map and this is the map you must take.” The girl smiled sweetly at each and every face, for she still wished the best for everyone she met and said, “You are kind to offer me your map, but this world is bigger than that one map and wider than that one needle. I shall follow my heart, for it knows me better than any book or number. I shall climb brand new mountains and swim brand new seas. I shall breath every breath with faith that another breath will follow. I will turn my eyes to the sky and thank every cloud and raindrop and wisp of wind, for they will be a part of this journey.” And with that proclamation, the boy and the girl and the golden angel and the brunette cherub climbed into their boat made of faith and boldness, and pushed away from the safe shore. They set their sails to go any which way, no matter how high or low. Their life was an adventure and they relished in the moment, for that was all that was promised to them. The End
Well, my version of short may not be very short. But once I started, it became so therapeutic and I couldn’t stop. For those of you who don’t’ speak “fairytale”, I’ll interpret it for you.
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer while five months pregnant, I couldn’t see beyond the fog of the disease. I couldn’t dissect my emotions and think through what was happening, because it all moved so fast. I had four rounds of chemo while pregnant, and then gave birth to a wonderful baby girl. After a month to recover, I started back up on a different “cocktail” of chemo. The fifth round proved to be much more difficult than the previous four rounds. I wasn’t sleeping or digesting very well and I was having strange heart palpitations. After the second round with the same results, I consulted my doctor about it. She assured me that these were all common side effects to the new chemo. Something just didn’t sit well with me, and my intuition started to speak up. What came next was a very personal decision and I am in no way telling anyone else to follow suit. I think everyone will make the best decision for where they are in life and knowledge and capabilities. I decided to delay conventional treatment and start researching alternative therapy. The very moment I made up my mind to change course, an enormous wave of peace shrouded my every thought and I knew in my heart of hearts that I had made the right decision for my body. My body and I get each other and have an understanding to listen to each other. When I was going through chemotherapy, I told my body that this is what it needed to work with. When my body decided on a better way to heal, I listened to it. Do I get a guarantee that this will be successful? Nope. But no one is offering me that option, so I had to go with the one that makes the most sense to me.
I started an organic whole-foods diet. I researched supplements and vitamins that have well-documented anti-cancer synergies, support the immune system (the most important tool in fighting cancer) and balance hormone levels. I threw out all chemical ladden household cleaners and cosmetics with natural substitutions and have implemented exercise and spiritual healing programs (all of this is in addition to the treatment program itself). The ultimate decision to defer to alternative treatment at this time is one that gives me the most peace. This peace of mind is not only based on diligent research, but also based on my own “gut feeling”, which I believe to be critical. So, there it is in a nutshell.
A part of this ride is prayers, good energy, positive thought, love and goodness directed our way. We’re not asking that you agree or even completely understand. What we are requesting is your well wishes. This decision is ours for the making and opinions of doubt and discouragement will not be accepted. We hold no opinion for others and their decisions about treatment and healing their body, and hope that others can give us the same grace.
Now you get to play! Everyone that feels so inclined to leave a kind comment of encouragement and love at the bottom of this blog will be entered in a raffle for a fabulous prize! You will also get a chance to enter by entering a comment on my blog titled “Surprise!”. Look for it tomorrow on the OCinSite website by clicking on this link: User – OCInSite. Alabama will randomly draw a name from each and I will email you the exciting details of your win!
I am feeling so incredibly blessed by the support I have received so far. In the coming weeks, I will fill everyone in on all kinds of fascinating details and share my wealth of information with you. Not to worry, it will apply to the sick and healthy and everyone in between! I will now be signing off my week of blogging. Thank you for taking the time you took to read it these past seven days. Your kindness and caring means the world to me. Here’s to a beautiful day and all that jazz. I’m off to play in a very shoddily build sheet tent with a very happy crazy golden angel baby while a certain cherub cheerfully gurgles nearby! Sending each and every one of you immeasurable amounts of love and joy!
I will leave you with a simple and sweet thought:
xoxo, Brita
A Reconstructed Life... 