life lessons

my friend has lung cancer. stage 4.
this isn’t about death.
it’s about what i learned yesterday when i visited with her.

1) loving our selves FIRST & FOREMOST is not selfish.
2) people who are dying don’t really want to hear, “i know how you feel.”
3) waiting for a doctor’s report is exactly the same as waiting for that ‘phone call’ from the guy or girl you just had a first date with – the one you liked a lot – hoping they like you back. that period in between … it’s excruciating & painful & you can go from best case scenario to worst case scenario in three seconds flat.
4) laughter is GREAT MEDICINE.
5) so is crying.
6) forgiveness is vital.
7) anger is deadly.
8) love should always be unconditional & plentiful.
9) a bad hair day is much better than a no hair day.

10) i deeply profoundly love my life … even though there are days – many days – i am sad, angry, frightened, overwhelmed, worried, forgetful, anxious, lost in a fog, blinded by rage, overcome with tears, self absorbed, self contained, filled with self doubt, fearful, can’t see the future, don’t understand the past, can not live in the moment, worry endlessly about ken, wish i were in touch with my family, miss my mother deeply, miss my dad less but loved him more … and am grateful beyond words for my sweet wonderful ken, and my gorgeous amazing friends and the love that i have every moment of every day, and that every single bit of it, the good, the bad, the ugly, the joyous, the magic, the ups and downs – is in fact life.

Category: Uncategorized 6 comments »

6 Responses to “life lessons”

Tracy
August 20th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
Beautiful…
Jane
August 20th, 2010 at 3:57 pm
Crying…in a good way.
Hollye Dexter
August 20th, 2010 at 11:32 pm
I think my heart just grew.
beautiful.

i heart you.
Madge Woods
August 21st, 2010 at 12:30 am
I love your story. I lost a best friend of 42 years from non smoking lung cancer. From diagnosis to death was 5 months. I write about it on my blog. Her name was Kathleen. I miss her every day and always ask myself what would Kathleen have to say about my hi jinks. Then I smile.
Linda tears
August 22nd, 2010 at 9:55 pm
Freaked that we both wrote about ‘gratitude’ on the same day…yikes! I wonder if when you snit w/ Ken…I snit w/ Rob…

I hope your friend does better than my bro with lung cancer…there are so many new therapies…blessings…to both of you….linda
Maxee
August 29th, 2010 at 6:54 pm
Oh Amy, how your words just speak volumes to me. We are simpatico my dear, dear friend. I only wish I could express in words, my thoughts, feelings, emotions, as eloquently and beautifully as you do. I am not a writer. I express myself through my art and in my paintings.

Thank you dear heart for writing these amazing blogs and for your wonderfully expressive book. You write the words and convey the thoughts and feelings, I’m not capable of writing or saying. I love you for that and for so much more. You are truly a remarkable woman!!
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~Maxee