August 2013
Upon returning from the coast
My spirit stood strong, and my mind functioned as a healthy whole
In fact, Will and I had had reason to feel amused by this fact:
During our two weeks in paradise
Our sons, Barry and David, demonstrated
A need to trade places with us
Each time Will and I spend a week or more in their territory, our hearts feel enriched by our sons' demonstrations of love in that we find ourselves naturally included in whatever activities they plan. And as that has been the case for years, their friends embrace us as affectionately as we embrace them.
So what changed with Will's diagnosis?
Our sons' mindsets expanded to include this stark fact of clarity:
Their parents are mortal creatures
And just as with all mortal creatures
There's a time for birth, a time for life and for the most part …
We do our best to forget that life must end until
A physical examination forces that truth to the forefront of our minds
My heart swells and a small smile plays on my lips as I reflect upon the ways in which our sons and their friends drew a circle of safety around both Will and me :)
What more could one ask during a mutually frightening time than to feel comforted by emotional support as caring as that.
To tell the truth, the last thing you want to hear when your minds are reeling with thoughts of cancer invading healthy tissue is:
Sorry to hear it
Most guys get it
More survive than don't
Buck up, don't worry
You'll be fine
Now, let's talk about me …
Believe it or not that's what we heard—from the same people who saw me as an 'all or nothing' person after they'd turned a deaf ear, repeatedly, to my consistent declarations of how worn out I'd clearly become …
And if you say, but Annie
Why did you expect to hear anything more supportive from them than that?
I'd reply: Have you forgotten that hope springs eternal within my heart?
The fact that I'd hoped for support in the wrong places brings to mind an inspirational book, which proves to be a really quick read: WHO MOVED THE CHEESE? Good thing I'd absorbed the wisdom inherent within every page of that book, a while back, because each time my heart feels left out in the cold, today, I remind myself to seek shelter where an open door welcomes me warmly with loving kindness intact …
You see, two weeks in paradise does not cancel this fact:
Tension indicates fear or anger or both, suppressed deep within the mind
And as fear and anger drain a person's energy source
Will's spirit tires easily, and he looks worn
At any rate, here's the comment that graced Will's ears and mine each time one of our sons hugs us—just a little longer than usual—at the end of each evening, spent in the loving warmth of their company:
Call me when you arrive safely at the condo :)
As this is the first time that Will and I sense an aura of protectiveness coming from our sons, you can see why that comment made us smile
See what happens when
A loved one's vulnerability is suddenly apparent?
The mindsets of compassionate offspring
Automatically trade places with their parents
And though it's not nearly time for Will and I to pass the baton
It's comforting to know that all three had been raised in a home
Where, in addition to having been taught to
Respect kindness with kindness
Children watched their role models consciously working to
Develop a variety of inner strengths in hopes of
Achieving long range goals, such as:
Followers growing into positions of
Compassionate leadership, most especially at those times when
A day at the beach turns into a bitch, suggesting that we do not
Need to understand the disruption taking place within
A loved one's mind for everyone to problem solve with
Positive focus intact, so that, hopefully
Conflict resolution will culminate in trains of thought, based in
Attitudes (mind sets), which lead toward win/win …
Upon returning from the coast
My spirit stood strong, and my mind functioned as a healthy whole
In fact, Will and I had had reason to feel amused by this fact:
During our two weeks in paradise
Our sons, Barry and David, demonstrated
A need to trade places with us
Each time Will and I spend a week or more in their territory, our hearts feel enriched by our sons' demonstrations of love in that we find ourselves naturally included in whatever activities they plan. And as that has been the case for years, their friends embrace us as affectionately as we embrace them.
So what changed with Will's diagnosis?
Our sons' mindsets expanded to include this stark fact of clarity:
Their parents are mortal creatures
And just as with all mortal creatures
There's a time for birth, a time for life and for the most part …
We do our best to forget that life must end until
A physical examination forces that truth to the forefront of our minds
My heart swells and a small smile plays on my lips as I reflect upon the ways in which our sons and their friends drew a circle of safety around both Will and me :)
What more could one ask during a mutually frightening time than to feel comforted by emotional support as caring as that.
To tell the truth, the last thing you want to hear when your minds are reeling with thoughts of cancer invading healthy tissue is:
Sorry to hear it
Most guys get it
More survive than don't
Buck up, don't worry
You'll be fine
Now, let's talk about me …
Believe it or not that's what we heard—from the same people who saw me as an 'all or nothing' person after they'd turned a deaf ear, repeatedly, to my consistent declarations of how worn out I'd clearly become …
And if you say, but Annie
Why did you expect to hear anything more supportive from them than that?
I'd reply: Have you forgotten that hope springs eternal within my heart?
The fact that I'd hoped for support in the wrong places brings to mind an inspirational book, which proves to be a really quick read: WHO MOVED THE CHEESE? Good thing I'd absorbed the wisdom inherent within every page of that book, a while back, because each time my heart feels left out in the cold, today, I remind myself to seek shelter where an open door welcomes me warmly with loving kindness intact …
You see, two weeks in paradise does not cancel this fact:
Tension indicates fear or anger or both, suppressed deep within the mind
And as fear and anger drain a person's energy source
Will's spirit tires easily, and he looks worn
Call me when you arrive safely at the condo :)
As this is the first time that Will and I sense an aura of protectiveness coming from our sons, you can see why that comment made us smile
See what happens when
A loved one's vulnerability is suddenly apparent?
The mindsets of compassionate offspring
Automatically trade places with their parents
And though it's not nearly time for Will and I to pass the baton
It's comforting to know that all three had been raised in a home
Where, in addition to having been taught to
Respect kindness with kindness
Children watched their role models consciously working to
Develop a variety of inner strengths in hopes of
Achieving long range goals, such as:
Followers growing into positions of
Compassionate leadership, most especially at those times when
A day at the beach turns into a bitch, suggesting that we do not
Need to understand the disruption taking place within
A loved one's mind for everyone to problem solve with
Positive focus intact, so that, hopefully
Conflict resolution will culminate in trains of thought, based in
Attitudes (mind sets), which lead toward win/win …
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