Thanksgiving – The Cancer Edition

We’re all thankful at Thanksgiving. (Right? Not feeling grateful at the moment? Stressed about the travel, the food you have to prepare in your tiny kitchen, the kids? Annoying Aunt Clementine and her yappy dog? Ok…quit your bitchin’ for a minute – yes, I know those yams won’t peel themselves, but really…just for a second…take a moment to breathe and be present and look around you at all you have to be appreciative of, okay?) Good. Now…we’re all grateful for our families, our friends, our warm, safe homes, our jobs and our car and our pets. There is no minimizing this. I am grateful for all of that and more. Here are some specific cancer journey-related objects of my gratitude:

I am grateful that at this exact moment I am not nauseated. It could pop up at any moment and it probably will, but at this very moment, I’m nausea-free. Take a minute, while you’re sitting there at your computer or in some waiting room passing the time and acknowledge that you are free of nausea (assuming you are.) That’s what I’m doing right now. An unhappy belly makes an unhappy person. A happy belly at least leaves the possibility of a happy person. I’m thankful that when I did barf up the blueberry oatmeal the other day that I had teh strength to clean it up, multiple offers from others to do it for me (THAT is love, People) and the option to stay home to recover fully from the blue, chunky trauma. 🙂

I am grateful I have my hair. It’s hanging tough. It will not go without a fight, that’s for sure.

I am grateful for laughter. It honestly makes me feel better. Thank you, to those of you who really get this about me.

I’m grateful for people speaking boldly into my life, people going beyond their comfort zones to help me, people bending over backwards to make my life easier and to care for me and my family. From food to flowers to laundry and childcare…we could never do this without you.

I am SO grateful for my chemo schedule. Just the way everything fell – I’ve been able to avoid the worst chemo days coinciding with Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. God provided there, big time. I would be so frustrated if I had to spend these special days in bed. You don’t get back Christmas with your four year old.

I am grateful for all of the normal stuff I am grateful for every year – to spend my 5th Thanksgiving morning at Light of Life Rescue Mission with some excellent people who care enough to serve the poor on a holiday, to sit at the table with most of my family members at some point during the day. Turkey. Pie. Love.