“April is the cruelest month” is the well known opening of T.S. Eliot’s classic poem, The Wasteland. Although it supports the theme of the important literary work, I don’t agree with the sentiment of the phrase. April is actually one of my favorite months, my birth month, and thirty days of lovely spring weather, the beginning of patio season, and an explosion of color in the garden. January, on the other hand, IS the cruelest month of all for me. I dread it every year. The end of the holiday season has always been difficult for me. My over-the-top love of Christmas adds to the January let down. New Year’s…
-
-
Cancerversary
Yesterday was my 6-year cancerversary. It may seem strange to celebrate the day you learn you have cancer. In years past, I’ve barely noticed when the day came and passed. But it’s different this year…for some reason I was reminded of the upcoming anniversary weeks ago and forced to take note. A cancerversary is a very personal choice. Some survivors choose to celebrate the surgery that removed the cancer from their body. Or the end of their treatment. Or the day they were told they were cancer free. Unfortunately, none of those make sense for me; at Stage IV, the cancer has returned several times with multiple surgeries and treatment…the…
-
The 9 lessons COVID-19 has taught me – so far
By now, everyone has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic in one way or another. It’s hard to remember a time when PPE and “flatten the curve” weren’t part of our daily dialogue. Multitudes have lost their livelihoods. Thousands have lost loved ones or paid the ultimate sacrifice. Those fortunate enough to be working from home are adjusting to new ways of conducting business while sharing an office space with family members. Time away from the house for essential activities requires a new level of planning and caution. I haven’t been out in public in almost four months. Wait…did I really just say that? These quiet days of isolation and…
