Anxious about taking a long weekend
with the ladies... arriving in-laws and a missed baseball tournament,
but the heaviest concern was whether I'd be a wet rag. Still not on
my A-game, wondering if I've been enlisted to an entirely different
game...would I contribute to the fun, would I have weepy moments, am
I still enjoyable to be around? Two tenured friends and two
newbies...one of which is currently midway thru her journey with
Cancer. Would conversation stir memories still too fresh?
No coincidence that I was surrounded by
exactly the kind of women I needed to refresh my soul. I should have
known better than to be anxious for anything at all. Settling in,
sweet aggreeance all around...not wanting to upset the other. Our
conversation deep, supportive, and broad. No one took center stage,
no tantrums. Sharing heart stories by the pool, then at home, then
at the beach...a simple change of scenery then more chats.
The high point was a pool side exchange
that became an incredible therapy session. Five women with
heartbreaking stories made me realize:
- There are some amazingly strong women in the world...we coined them 'beautiful mules'. They carry the load when others cannot.
- We all have a story....something that defines us and how we see the world forever after.
- The sharing of stories offered sustenance...the heady realization that we are not alone.
- The difference between being a victim and a victor is not letting the story become an excuse.
Rejuvenated and ready to embrace the in-laws, our return trip home offered another sweet reminder... no coincidence my randomly selected seat partner was a newly retired 17-year breast cancer survivor.
No comments:
Post a Comment