Grateful for Family, Friends and This Community

The past weeks have been filled with medical appointments and tests, consultations with doctors, and changes in medicines. With traveling added to everything, it’s been quite exhausting and I’ve been sleeping a lot.

Yet, with all that’s happened, I’m grateful. Grateful for so much. A family that takes care of me, that does so much for both me and my husband. Then there’s the medical personnel who truly care about me. They take time to discuss any concerns I may have and my questions. If they can’t answer me, they research for the answer and get back to me as soon as they can.

Besides all these blessings is the community I live in. People who give me hugs, share a smile, express their concerns for me, offer to help in any way they can, and always, always tell me they are praying for me.

Strange as it may seem, there are the people I’ve never and probably never will meet who pray for me. These are the people I’ve come to know through an internet chat room and their friends who also want me to know I am in their prayers.

And most of all there’s my faith. I truly believe that without my faith I would not still be fighting to live.

Yes, I get frustrated about not being able to do so many things I’d like to and want to. Irritated because there are many tasks that take more energy and strength than I have. Even simple things like doing laundry or vacuuming. Buying groceries takes a huge amount of strength for me and were it not for my family, the groceries wouldn’t get put away.

But when I find myself feeling low and sad, I think about all the good people in my life. And I tell myself to remember I truly am loved and I am blessed in so many ways. It’s been nine years since I was diagnosed with cancer. Nine years in which I have learned so much. Nine years that have brought home the lesson, no matter how difficult we may find our life to be at times, we should never forget to be grateful for all we have.