Illinois ladies facing bc
Comments
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We need to get an IL (or Chicagoland) group together again. That photo was taken before I was diagnosed and found BCO, but I do recognize Lago (Lauren).
How's everyone coping with the early deep freeze? We had a dusting of snow overnight (yesterday made it into the 50s, probably something we won't see again for months). Only stuck on cars & grass, and most of it evaporated before sunset tonight. After a brief (weak) warmup this weekend, it's gonna get worse. Last night walked to a Portuguese wine dinner in the neighborhood, wearing my new faux-fur-trimmed hooded loden car coat, with a muffler over a suede jacket & a t-shirt. Not toasty-warm but comfy enough to keep the hood down and no gloves. Came out 3 hrs later, and the cold cut through like a knife--the mist that began during dinner had started to freeze. Hood up, muffler tied tight over the top snap, Thinsulate-lined leather gloves barely cutting it. Time next week to dig out the puffer jacket or maybe even the old shearling hooded coat which is 2 sizes too big now. (Might either move the buttons or have the tailor around the corner make it a toggle coat). Not to mention the shearling mittens.
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Sandy, would be excellent to get a Chicago group together. Who knows, except the Shadow, what tales we might tell? And, so true, the weather has taken a turn. I don’t mind in my Land’s End puffer. I used to cross the Midway in the blast of winter wearing a jelly green unlined windbreaker and think I was just going to lie down and freeze to death. But now, dressed more fiercely, though never with a hat or hood, it’s easy to walk the 7 or so blocks to the Evanston theatre. Unlike you I get nervous if there’s a movie I haven’t seen. So, tomorrow, after I reread stories for the short story Northwestern class I take, off DH and I will trek to the flicks.
Judy, not Judi
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Life is not merely a series of meaningless accidents or coincidences, but rather, it's a tapestry of events that culminate in an exquisite sublime plan. -unattributed My life is but a weaving
Between my God and me.
I cannot choose the colors
He weaveth steadily.
Oft' times He weaveth sorrow;
And I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper
And I the underside.
Not 'til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Will God unroll the canvas
And reveal the reason why.
The dark threads are as needful
In the weaver's skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned
He knows, He loves, He cares;
Nothing this truth can dim.
He gives the very best to those
Who leave the choice to Him.
unattributed (often attributed to
Corrie ten Boom, who used it in a
book and often quoted from it.)We are one people forever woven together in a tapestry, . . . And it is our job, our duty and our great challenge to fight the voices of division, and to seek the salve of reconciliation. -Roy Barnes 0 -
It would be VERY nice if the Chicago group could have another get-together. For old times sake as well as lending their voices and memories in out-reach to those who showed up later on. The group I think ( not sure just how many ) come and read the quotes I leave there still although the group seldom posts.
I will say that so many ( just to name those that stand out ) like Michele T, Susan P, Irene H. and of course the lady who started that wonderful blog Rita H. all worked hard to get me to show up since I'm 4 hrs. South of Chicago ( Maggiano's in Schaumberg which is where the get togethers were held ) but I think a short while afterward it seemed the get-togethers became fewer. I thank those women all the time -- they just don't know it. I've said before I was new to going on a blog so since I felt inadequate about it I often used quotes to fill out how I really felt, but didn't feel so capable of saying in my own words.
The Chicago ladies resonated to it and asked ( this was back in late 2007 ) that I put in an up-lifting quote of inspiration daily. They gave me something to do that pleased and I think often helped everyone stay a bit steadier and stronger and able to plow through many of the less pleasant parts of the cancer process. So, at long last they wanted to personally thank me. They had featured many others before me for a variety of note-worthy traits.
I remember well to this day some of the loving and kind arm-twisting since I didn't see how I could make it happen. They took it on and make it go right. Even Michele T. who was the main person executing the get-togethers and normally the emcee. She finagled getting herself discharged ( no longer contagious ) from the hospital and a case of pneumonia so she could be there. To this day she has no idea what that meant to me ( once I discovered it ) , along with Rita and Susan who gave major pushes to get me there.
A picture and quotes that they presented still hang on my wall and I still have the picture Jan Clare made the yr. before when I mentioned if they would all think of me that I would be there with them. So the yr. before I was there on a table as well. I've never forgotten and still recall with great gratitude how you all made me feel.
So, it would be so nice if all ( or at least several ) could come together to meet other Chicago area ladies that came after. Hope no one minds that I filled out the story a bit, but it was a chance for me to show my gratitude for a group that still evokes my determination ( not so strong at first ) to get well, stay well and honor life -- so much due to them. They are among the special people who have never left my mind for long. Every day when I again put in a quote they become as large as life all over again. Sending love and bet wishes to all.
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The Tao Te Ching says, When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. When I let go of what I have, I receive what I need. Have you ever struggled to find work or love, only to find them after you have given up? This is the paradox of letting go. Let go, in order to achieve. Letting go is God's law. -Mary Manin Morrissey
The only things we can keep are the things we freely give to God. What we try to keep for ourselves is just what we are sure to lose. -C.S. Lewis 0 -
Once the soul awakens, the search begins and you can never go back. From then
on, you are inflamed with a special longing that will never again let you linger in
the lowlands of complacency and partial fulfillment. The eternal makes you
urgent. You are loath to let compromise or the threat of danger hold you back
from striving toward the summit of fulfillment.
John O'Donohue0 -
If we demand enlightenment, it hides. . . . All that we can do is make ourselves enlightenment-prone. We learn to treasure the possibility of awakening in all moments and circumstances. We learn to simplify and cultivate the receptivity of heart that can be touched by profound understanding. We learn to listen deeply and discover stillness amid the movement in our world. -Christina Feldman
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Because it has optimism in it, because it's closely allied to cheerfulness, enthusiasm has the power to lift people over the rough places in life. Which of us does not admire some friend who has proved his or her capacity to endure staggering blows, keeping their sense of humor, their interest in things, their vitality intact? We marvel, as a rule, that such people are able to retain their enthusiasm. The truth probably is that their enthusiasm--the love power inside--is supporting them. -Arthur Gordon
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Can we recognize our oneness, though? And what will happen if we
not only start to see that we are connected to the other human beings
in our lives, but also start to live as if that were true? Would we
become more compassionate if we were to recognize the same hopes
and dreams that we have, there in someone else? Would we be able
to help someone else feel more hope in their lives? Would we feel
more at home and at peace in our own places in this world if we were
to keep in mind that we are an important part of the human race, and
that we have many chances every day to improve the lot of humanity
by improving the life of a fellow human being, even in tiny ways?0 -
Hello, sun in my face. Hello you who made the morning and spread it over the fields...Watch, now, how I start the day in happiness, in kindness.
- Mary Oliver -0 -
I am responsible. Although I may not be able to prevent the worst from happening, I am responsible for my attitude toward the inevitable misfortunes that darken life. Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character. -Walter Anderson
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Everybody avoids the company of those who are always grumbling, who are
full of "ifs" and "buts," and "I told you so's." We like the people who always
look toward the sun, whether it shines or not. It is the cheerful, hopeful people
we go to for sympathy and assistance; not the carping, gloomy critics,--who always
think it is going to rain, and that we are going to have a terribly hot summer,
or a fearful thunder-storm, or who are forever complaining of hard times and
their hard lot. It is the bright, cheerful, hopeful, contented people who makes
their ways, who are respected and admired.
Gloom and depression not only take much out of life, but detract greatly
from the chances of winning success. It is the bright and cheerful
spirit that wins the final triumph.
Orison Swett Marden0 -
Life is a refining process. Our response to it determines whether we'll be ground down or polished up. On a piano, one person sits down and plays sonatas, while another merely bangs away at "Chopsticks." The piano is not responsible. It's how you touch the keys that makes the difference. It's how you play what life gives you that determines your joy and shine. -Barbara Johnson
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Mindfulness is being aware of yourself, others, and your surroundings in the moment. When consciously and kindly focusing awareness on life as it unfolds minute by precious minute, you are better able to savor each experience. Also, being closely attentive gives you the opportunity to change unwise or painful feelings and responses quickly. In fact, being truly present in a mindful way is an excellent stress reducer and, because of that, can be seen as consciousness conditioning, a strengthening workout for body, mind, heart, and spirit. -SuePatton Thoele
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The more I focused on lack and on what I couldn't have, the more depressed I became. The more depressed I became, the more I focused on lack. My soul whispered that what I really yearned for was not financial security but financial serenity. I was still—quiet enough to listen. At that moment I acknowledged the deep longing in my heart. What I hungered for was an inner peace that the world could not take away. I asked for help and committed to following wheresoever Spirit would lead me.For the first time in my life I discarded my five-year goals and became a seeker, a pilgrim, a sojourner.
When I surrendered my desire for security and sought serenity instead, I looked at my life with open eyes. I saw that I had much for which to be grateful. I felt humbled by my riches and regretted that I took for granted the abundance that already existed in my life. How could I expect more from the universe when I didn't appreciate what I already had? -Sarah Ban Breathnach0 -
As Gandhi wisely points out, even as we serve others we are working on ourselves; every act, every word, every gesture of genuine compassion naturally nourishes our own hearts as well. It is not a question of who is healed first. When we attend to ourselves with compassion and mercy, more healing is made available for others. And when we serve others with an open and generous heart, great healing comes to us. -WayneMuller
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Each person takes care that their neighbor shall not cheat them. But a day comes when we begin to care that we do not cheat our neighbors. Then all goes well. We have changed our market-cart into a chariot of the sun.
Ralph Waldo Emerson0 -
People are ethical only when life, as such, is sacred to them, that of plants and animals as that of their fellow people, and when they devote themselves helpfully to all life that is in need of help. -Albert Schweitzer, Out of My Life and Thought
Ethics grow out of the same root as world- and life-affirmation, for ethics, too, are nothing but reverence for life. That is what gives me the fundamental principle of morality, namely, that good consists in maintaining, promoting, and enhancing life, and that destroying, injuring, and limiting life are evil. Affirmation of the world, which means affirmation of the will-to-live that manifests itself around me, is only possible if I devote myself to other life. From an inner necessity, I exert myself in producing values and practicing ethics in the world and on the world even though I do not understand the meaning of the world. For in world- and life-affirmation and in ethics I carry out the will of the universal will-to-live which reveals itself in me. I live my life in God, in the mysterious divine personality which I do not know as such in the world, but only experience as mysterious will within myself. -Albert Schweitzer, The Philosophy of Civilization 0 -
Expressing gratitude ignites the light within us and is a sure
path to joy. Gratitude is one of the highest vibrations of
energy we can create, it's free, and anyone can give it. It
can be as simple as being thankful for soup, being thankful
one can see, walk, wiggle a finger, or tap to a beat. One
can be grateful for happy children, good neighbors, good luck,
and simply being alive. . . . Part of the journey toward joy
involves not waiting around for trouble, but being
continuously aware of our blessings.0 -
Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is. In the boredom and pain of it no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it, because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace.
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If your gratitude depends on what life gives you or what other people do for you or to you, you will be disappointed more often than you are grateful. But you can learn to feel grateful by rethinking your attitude towards life. First, remember that contentment lies in giving. If you know that giving is better than receiving, then you can feel grateful for what you are able to give others. This does not mean you ignore your own needs. You will decide what to give and how to give it, and then at the end of the day you will be grateful for having had the chance to give in your own way. Remember, we all have something to give, and our ability to give is not related to our finances or physical strength. -Bernie Siegel
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I believe that the first test of a great person is his or her humility. I don't mean by humility, doubt of one's power. But really great people have a curious feeling that the greatness is not of them, but through them. And they see something divine in every other person and are endlessly, foolishly, incredibly merciful.
John Ruskin0 -
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Deciding to be grateful for our situation, our experiences, our unique perspective, quickly changes our outlook on everything that did happen, on everything that is happening now, and on everyone we meet. Accepting that we are in charge of whatever kind of day we will have forces us to accept responsibility for our joy, which can always be ours, or our unhappiness. And being grateful feels so good. Gratitude is an attitude, and I can feel it whenever I want. -unattributed
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Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person; having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but to pour them all out, chaff and grain together, knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then, with the breath of kindness, blow the rest away. -George Eliot
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for fun:
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Everybody avoids the company of those who are always grumbling, who are full of "ifs" and "buts," and "I told you so's." We like the people who always look toward the sun, whether it shines or not. It is the cheerful, hopeful people we go to for sympathy and assistance; not the carping, gloomy critics,--who always think it is going to rain, and that we are going to have a terribly hot summer, or a fearful thunder-storm, or who are forever complaining of hard times and their hard lot. It is the bright, cheerful, hopeful, contented people who makes their ways, who are respected and admired.
Gloom and depression not only take much out of life, but detract greatly from the chances of winning success. It is the bright and cheerful spirit that wins the final triumph. -Orison Swett Marden0 -
There are no hopeless situations;
there are only men who have grown hopeless about them.
- Clare Boothe Luce
Sometimes good things fall apart
so better things can fall together.
- Marilyn Monroe0 -
This quote is a great one to consider with the viewpoint about all the things we need and could repair in a good way such as many of our current issues -- children, schools, welfare/food stamp programs, infrastructure and the criminal justice system.
When a flower doesn't bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.
- Alexander Den Heijer0 -
Love people who hate you. Pray for people who have wronged you.
It won't just change their life, it will change yours.
- Mandy Hale0 -
We plant seeds that will flower as results in our lives, so best to remove the weeds of avarice, envy, and doubt, that peace and abundance may manifest for all. -Dorothy Day 0
