As this update of my family was recently sent to a dear friend, I've copied it here for you:
Over these past two months, Will's spirit remained strong as did mine
At the end of each radiation treatment, Monday-Friday, we drove straight to Baskin Robbins, where we celebrated another treatment put to bed. If you ask why I accompanied Will to his daily treatments, I'd say: Comic relief. As his last session was Wednesday, I mustered the courage to step on the scale, Thursday. Yikes! I looked down and there they were, Five extra pounds of cream and sugar staring up at me from the scale pointer's point of view. Normally, two extra pounds releases the eleven year old child within, who'd been ridiculed on that school bus from hell. This was five! As soon as I'd felt a self destructive attitude seeping out from deep within my mind, I maintained control over clarity in this way: I switched mindsets. Instead of berating myself, I chose to acknowledge my ability to maintain self control now that Will's treatments had come to an end. Just as I'd freely chosen to enjoy that ice cream cone, daily, now, each pound lost while making my way down will offer me reason to rejoice, because otherwise, five may creep up toward ten. Though Will's spirit had maintained its strength ... it had been the dopey clown in me who'd brought forth his laughter, which buoys strength of spirit with injections of dopamine. Each time we enjoy a meal out with family and friends, which is quite often, I'll treat myself to their company while ordering wisely rather than blindly ... By choosing wisely, concerning energizing my mind, body and spirit with all four food groups, my goal of creating another well balanced change for the better will be achieved, sooner rather than later.
As I just hinted at another change for the better, you might think to ask, which change for the better came first? The first change came when we returned to our car after Will's initial treatment. Upon noticing a frown on his face, which was in need of change, hence my idea of ice cream cones in celebration of each small milestone. Had Will been a child, we'd have created a colorful sticker chart where he'd have placed a shiny gold star upon returning home, each day. As Will is an adult, he created a chart on his own by marking an X through each day on a calendar. Why? Because several people exist within us, all. And Will was working to mollify his angry bird ... I mean, angry child. More about the faces we wear, which communicate who is in charge of our mindsets, another time. As for now, Will and I wait three months before this strong willed man, who, along with me, has worked conscientiously to make change for the better a reality, repeats a battery of tests to see if the radiation eradicated cancer cells, which escaped the surgeon's scalpel.
Let's list reasons that turn an angry bird into a love song by painting a bigger picture of that which constitutes a deeper appreciation of the good life, which we enjoy more often than not:
No matter the sweltering desert heat of summer, Will enjoys playing golf, several times, weekly. Each time he returns drenched to the skin, I look up from my writing and ask: So, how'd you do? Will's range of answers go from not so good to pretty good. One day last week, he answered: Pretty good. As it's my habit to ask for his score, he replied: 77. As Will, who'd taken up golf about six years ago after breaking too many bones playing basketball like a loose limbed, eighteen year old boy, proves self effacing, repeatedly, I exclaimed: Pretty good? Had that been me, I'd have been swinging from one chandelier to another! Wow!! Yet another heartfelt reason to smile.
Steven, who lives in town, has taken up golf and asks his Pop to play a couple of times a week. Yet another heartfelt reason to smile.
We enjoyed a cool getaway weekend at our cabin in the pines with Steven and Celina.
Yet another heartfelt reason to smile.
David flew home for a weekend, recently. He's over the moon driving his new car to his new job, writing for a new show, which airs on CBS, Tuesday nights, beginning in September. His career is really taking off . Yet another heartfelt reason to smile.
Barry and Marie were with us, three weeks ago (Marie's children were with their dad) … and a good time was enjoyed by all. Yet another heartfelt reason to smile.
My niece, Jessie and her husband, Sean moved to the desert about a month ago. We enjoyed having them stay with us for several days till their apartment was ready. We see them, weekly. Yet another heartfelt reason to smile.
We just returned from a dear friend's wedding in San Diego. She and her new hubby have been together for 13 years. We had such fun that I actually felt giddy with joy, to the point that I threw caution to the winds and danced! A waltz. A tango. A cha cha! And like each ice cream cone, my choice to release myself from self-restraint to enjoy life to the fullest by offering my spirit reason to dance with joy was worth it!! Well ... I didn't throw all caution to the winds ... I wanted to jitterbug and twist ... but My strong sense of logic reigned that passion in. As the beautiful bride has been one of my closest friends since college and as other dearly loved college friends flew in, as well, we enjoyed a love fest ... thus catalyzing my giddiness. Yet another heartfelt reason to smile
Soon, we'll drive to the coast for two weeks, where we plan to celebrate the end of a trying year and the start of a new chapter with our kids, another dear niece and her family, a cousin's family and my writing partner's family, as well. Cherry on top? Our time share, over looking the expanse of the ocean below, is a two bedroom, two bath, offering room to welcome our closest friends to join in the fun for several days, suggesting that I can rein in passion for dancing and food but when it comes to love and laughter ... well, that's a whole different story!See what I mean about consciously switching mindsets?
Lots of heartfelt reasons to smile and laughter's the best medicine, right?
Warm hugs ... Annie
PS
Will is sitting next to me, smiling away, saying Mmmmm while devouring a luscious, gigantic cinnamon roll with caramelized sugar on top ... I'm staring at my lonely coffee cup, doing my best to rein in the wild thing, who wants to leap from my chair, fling open the cabinet and squirt a ton of catsup all over him ... I mean all over that sweetroll that tempts me to no end! See what I mean? My first thought's not always my best thought ... unless Will keeps teasing my pleasure center, thus offering me reason to paint his head red!
Sent from my iPad
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