Dear Reader:

Every day brings us an opportunity to make new friends and reunite with old ones…and best of all… laugh our heads off in the process!

That is what happened to me yesterday. I arrived at 9:00 at the Healing Boutique (Roper/St. Francis in the Cancer Center) to let Karen measure my hand and arm for my new glove and sleeve (which I will wear following completion of my physical therapy.)

My appointment with sweet Chrissie, my physical therapist, wasn’t until 10:00 and Karen had said that the measuring wouldn’t take over half an hour…tops! Love it when a plan comes together!

As soon as I saw Karen I realized I already knew her from my last ‘post-surgery days’… a couple of years ago. She is very sweet and funny! She, in turn, remembered me and we quickly got caught up on our lives. (Since she still had all my insurance information and nothing had changed… we got right to work…measuring.)

As we were chatting I told her that Chrissie had measured my arm and hand Tuesday and the “puffiness” (as I call it instead of lymphpeda…sounds nicer) had shrunk some more…though not as much as the last measurement…still… a little centimeter here and there. (And really, to me, it all looks pretty normal again…which makes me happy.)

I told her that I was sure that the area that had stayed the same was my “bat wings“…the skin flapping under the top of my upper arm. (One day -many years from now-young Chrissie will understand that these “wings” stick around for the long haul…therapy or not.)

Karen (about my age) started laughing and told me that she had something better to call this condition than “bat wings.” A friend had told her and she had never forgotten it. It was time to pass it on.

Before she started her story, however, she asked me if I wore short sleeves and I replied “NO…Never!” I always wore, at least, three quarter sleeves…even in the summer…because of the “bat wings” problem.

Karen smiled and replied “I thought so…just like me…so you are definitely in the “club.” 

“Club…what club?” I replied.

“The Angel Club” she quickly responded… with a grin.

She told me to never fret about flapping arms again…just to always remember and SHHHH! Keep it a secret!

“Angels on Earth don’t want their wings to show.”

Isn’t that too cute? I loved it and we laughed our heads off…what a wonderful way to start the day!

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Since we had finished the measuring in about ten minutes I had a lot of time on my hands (a wonderful dilemma) so I browsed around the boutique gift shop… so many wonderful sayings to inspire and motivate people living with (or without) cancer…but most importantly to make everyone remember to laugh and reflect.

Here is one of my favorites that I wrote down…

“Life is all about how you handle Plan B”

(Isn’t that the truth…none of us are going to get through life with all our dreams and expectations intact. Life just doesn’t work that way…because it works better … than what we thought we  originally wanted.)

We soon learn that “Plan B” is “Plan A”…just with a few curve balls thrown in the mix…so hint: Practice hitting home runs with strikes from curve balls!)

Now keep that thought in mind while you ponder this question concerning “Plan B” at Christmas…

Ann G is curious about a situation that arose (for the first time for her) just recently….In the past couple of months she has successfully overcome an unexpected diagnosis of skin cancer….( the rather grueling process involved several surgeries/skin grafts and other ‘trying’ obstacles).

While going through the process of healing… she discovered that her thoughts about Christmas, traditions, decorating, etc. had changed. Bewildered…she spoke to some neighbors who had also gone through major obstacles in their lives…to see if she was alone in her unresolved feelings concerning the holidays/decorating. Ann generously has shared these reflections :

As usual you blog was timely. I made the observation this weekend that when we have a big change or trauma in our lives it effects our Christmas decorating.

I was talking to my neighbor about the year her husband died and how she changed her decorations that year. And one of my friends said the year she had chemo she didn’t put up her tree at all.

 I had been thinking about not even putting up my tree this year and it came to me that I could put less on it! Travis and Whitney graciously helped assemble it and put the lights on it so putting the ornaments on it was a breeze. So perhaps less is more in this case.

 I’m still trying to work through how trauma is related to Christmas decorating. Between surgeries I thought I’m not going to be able to deal with the tree. And now that it is here, doing less seems to be the answer. I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on this.

 Peace & Love,

Ann

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I personally replied that I went the other way the first Christmas after the initial diagnosis.

I kept thinking it might be my last Christmas so I wanted it to be the best. I had just finished chemo and was not feeling the greatest…but I had so much help from family and friends…bringing new ornaments and decorations… that I got excited seeing Christmas anew.

Of course once Eva Cate, my first grandchild, came along…Christmas was never the same again….happily…and with two more “precious passengers” on board now…I  feel so happy and thankful at Christmas for just “being.“

Like Ann, I too, find myself taking down less and less decorations from the closets every year…including this year.

I just don’t feel the need for them any more. I would rather save room instead (from all decorative knick-knacks) to fill the house with screams, chaos, and laughter of children. The best decorations of all.

Ann…I think “Less really is best” in most of life… period!

*** I would love (and I know Ann would) to hear back from anyone willing to share a first Christmas after a loss…whether it be a health issue, or loss of spouse through death or divorce, a sudden move from a home you had lived in for a long time…any obstacle that made you re-think Christmas. It is an important discussion…because we will all go through it at some point in our lives.

So until tomorrow…Let us keep seeking the Hand that guides us through all of life’s obstacles.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

* Happy Birthday Poppy! We love you so much! I hope the angels (who can show their wings) throw you a fantastic party!

*** Oops…I almost forgot to tell you about my title “angel” picture for the blog. Ernest Lee, a.k.a. “Chicken Man,” had it on display when Brooke, Libby, and I secretly sneaked up to Columbia to get him to paint a mural for Jackson…since her birthday was coming soon…(November)

We had the best time with “Chicken Man” ….buying all kinds of paintings while waiting for him to finish Jackson’s picture of symbolic events in her life and her son Matthew.

When the “Ya’s” came for the James Taylor concert (part of the birthday package) we gave Jackson her “Chicken Man” birthday painting.

I love my angel (without wings) because Ernest added the pink ribbon just for me. It was the only angel he had done…since his trademark centers around chicken people and palmetto trees. Very special angel! We love you “Chicken Man”!!!!