Mar 17
“Oh, my grandmother had that kind of cancer—she didn’t last long.” “My neighbor has what you have—he’s in so much pain.” “I thought you’d be over this grieving by now.” Heard any such insensitive (dare I say “stupid”) remarks? I think I’ve heard them all and then some. I remember bumping into a church …
Oct 16
So how are you feeling today? Happy? Frustrated? Overwhelmed? Popular psychology tells us that feelings are “neither right nor wrong.” But I want to tell you that feelings do not necessarily mirror the facts. I witnessed this firsthand a few years ago when my husband and I headed out with my boss, Dr. Marc …
Jun 19
Over the years this quote from author Norman Cousins became a sort of rallying cry for my cancer support group members who were facing especially difficult circumstances. These are the kind of folks who realize shock and disbelief—although understandable reactions to a diagnosis—can’t really do anything to change the situation. So they decide to take the …
Jun 05
My husband has a serious problem. And what’s worse is the fact he doesn’t even think he has a problem. I have no doubt that when I tell you what his problem is, you’ll be pretty shocked. But perhaps my talking about it in front of hundreds and hundreds of people will help him see …
May 22
I’m pretty sure the only thing “small” about Mother Teresa’s life was her stature. Nearly 50 years of sacrificially serving the “the unwanted, the unloved, the uncared for” hardly seems to qualify as doing “small things.” But there’s certainly no doubt that this diminutive nun, honored in 1979 with the Nobel Peace Prize, was …
Feb 27
“It’s quiet. It’s early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is asleep. The day is coming. “In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. …
Nov 14
Put waist-length hair in a ponytail or up into a shower cap Tie your sneakers Signal touchdown Put the little backs on your pierced earrings Peel potatoes…or cucumbers…or carrots..or anything else Change a wiggling toddler’s diaper Hold your playing cards while playing one of them Give a bear hug Clap Type very long blogs It’s …
Sep 19
Sometimes things move very quickly once you or a loved one gets a life-threatening diagnosis. I guess that’s good because you don’t have much time to think about it, but it also makes life feel a little like a surreal out-of-body experience: Can that really be me/us everyone is talking about? My cancer was discovered on …
Jun 27
My husband is recovering from major surgery for an infected knee joint prostheses and I am recovering from Lyme disease, so Chris Tiegreen, one of my favorite authors is bringing a word of encouragement to ALL of us today! (I highly recommend his devotionals. You can order them at bookstores or online, including www.tyndaledirect.com. ) The …
May 09
My husband and I recently returned from a breathtaking cruise of the Rhine River from Amsterdam, Netherlands through Germany and France to Basel, Switzerland. We basked in the beauty of more than 7 million tulips blooming at Keukenhof Gardens, marveled at the 13th-century Gothic architecture of the Cologne Cathedral, spotted 30+ medieval castles along …
