THURSDAY THOUGHTS - This Man Is My Father

Some thirty years ago, my life was really in a rough patch. My marriage was on rocky ground and despite much effort to save it, I knew the downward spiral was going to end in divorce. This was before the days of cell phones (seems Neanderthal doesn't it?) Long distance calls were expensive and every one showed up on the bill. I didn't want my husband to see lots of calls home to Utah. My dad had a WATS line at work so he could call me any time without incurring cost on his end. Oh how those calls lifted my spirits! I could let down and tell him what was really going on; not keep up the facade like I did with everyone else.

During this time I wrote a song to honor my father and this past Father's Day I sang it to him at our church. What a proud moment that was! I want to share the lyrics of this song because I think it expresses the feelings that many of us have about our fathers. they are and always will be our heroes.

THIS MAN IS MY FATHER

In the midst of my work load
My mind all a whirl
My thoughts wander back
To when I was a girl

When I got discouraged
Or when I felt sad
I found comfort and solace
In the arms of my dad

At times he was loving
At times he was stern
But I knew in my heart
He was filled with concern

A man of few words
But much feeling inside
I was proudest of all
When I stood by his side

This man is my father
This man is my friend
His love I will cherish
Until the end

Though he won't always be here
Some day he'll be gone
But his memory, our memories
Will love on and on

And still there are times
When I feel so alone
My heart fills with joy
When he calls on the phone

Yes I still get discouraged
And sometimes feel sad
But my spirits still soar
When I hear from my dad

This man is my father
This man is my friend
His love I will cherish
Until the end

Though he won't always be here
Someday he'll be gone
But his memory, our memories
Will live on and on

MONDAY MOTIVATION/THURSDAY THOUGHTS - Only One Purpose

I haven't shared Kathy's Thursday Thoughts for a few weeks, so I thought I'd post one here today.  I thank her SO much for these words.  There are days when I just need to hear that what we are doing is helping and making a difference - exactly what we set out to do. Kathy's next post will be on Thursday...

I love my job at the bank because I meet such fascinating people and they teach me so much. Randy is one of those people. He is probably in his mid forties. He is severely handicapped and mentally challenged. He is deaf and therefore has difficulty speaking, but he holds down a job and brings his deposits into the bank on a regular basis. Karen is a woman who has taken Randy under her wing. She told me one day, “I loved him the minute I met him.”  She has learned sign language and she (along with her husband) brings him in to help him with his finances. I love to see them when they come in. There is no fanfare and no public recognition…just love and charity being displayed in its purest form.

Seeing them makes me think of the many people who have touched my life. Most are not public figures and they probably don’t have huge bank accounts or drive the biggest and best cars. But their hearts are full of genuine concern and love. Among these are the women in our organization Lifting Hearts. They are organized for only one purpose…to lend support and love to those who are suffering from the rigors of Breast Cancer. They are among the most  noble women I know.

I was drawn to a song written by Alan Jackson about his father. The entire song was worth listening to, but the chorus catches the spirit I am trying to create in this week’s blog. It goes like this:

And he Bowed his head to Jesus
And he stood for Uncle Sam
And he only loved one woman
Was always proud of what he had
He said his finest contribution
Was the ones he left behind
Raised on the ways and gentle kindness
Of a small town southern man

Although I was not raised in the south, the chorus of this song resonated with me deeply even the first time I heard it, because I know so many unsung heroes like the one Jackson sang about. While our society seems to be fascinated with the lives of the rich and famous, I feel that perhaps equal or even more attention should be given to those who are noble and unknown, for they are the backbone of this nation. We also need to recognize that all of us have a circle of influence that is greater than we realize, and if we each invest ourselves in doing all we can to lighten the load for the people in our circle, the world becomes a more pleasant place for all of us. Although most of our lives do not play out on a public stage, we can add a great measure of joy to those we serve, just like Karen does for Randy, and the women of Lifting Hearts do for those who are progressing through their Breast Cancer journeys. There are endless opportunities to do this and I for one, plan to be more aware and a little less self absorbed so that I can bring at least a few more smiles to those within my circle.

Kathy Christensen

MONDAY MOTIVATION - Generostiy and Gratitude

G.B. Stern said: "Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone."  I can be silent no longer...

I've been gathering items for our Lifting Hearts yard sale (this coming Saturday - June 23rd), and I've been amazed and humbled, and extremely grateful for all of those who have donated items to us.  I was gone all day on Saturday, driving around to different yard sales, picking up leftover items to use at our yard sale, and when I got home, imagine my surprise when I walked into my basement and it was FULL - literally FULL - of items that people had delivered to my house.  There is really not one bit of space to even walk in!

This group is SO important to me, and I hope to other survivors as well.  We are running out of funds, and because it takes money to run a support group this large, I'm worried that unless we can raise more funds, we won't be able to offer this support group much longer.  That, in my opinion, would be tragic.

Apparently, many of you feel the same way - at least, your contributions witness to that.  Thank you SO MUCH for being so generous!

We are still taking in donations of items for the yard sale. Please contact me, and I'll tell you where to drop your items off: 801-360-4666.

*monetary donations are always welcome!

Love,
Kara

MONDAY MOTIVATION - Thankfulness and Gratitude

This last week, I was making some homemade Thank You cards. I searched the internet for some quotes on Gratitude and Thankfulness. I came across some of the most wonderful quotes. I thought today, I'd share a few with you. As you read these, think of those who have helped you through your cancer journey - family, friends, doctors, nurses, etc.

"What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal." -Albert Pine

"How far that little candle throws his beam! So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Shakespeare

"The measure of a person's life is the affect they have on others." -Steve Nash

"Unselfish and noble actions are the most radiant pages in the biography of souls." -David Thomas

"How wonderful that no one need wait a single moment to improve the world." -Anne Frank

And finally... the one that I chose to put on my cards:

"Every action in our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity." - Edwin Hubbel Chapin

**Just a little reminder to be full of gratitude for those who have helped you along the way - take a moment and let them know how you feel.

Have a great day, everyone!

-Kara

THURSDAY THOUGHTS - Attitute of Gratitude

I have long believed that an attitude of gratitude is one of the most important things we can develop to add contentment and meaning in this life. When my children were young, we lived in an affluent area (although we were not nearly as affluent as those around us were.) People thought nothing of taking the winter break from school to go skiing in Switzerland. I was absolutely amazed that families could afford to do things like this. One person asked me where we
were going to travel during the break, to which I replied,"Oh nowhere....we've all had the flu."

I decided that this was a time to teach my children about gratitude. I told them that there would always be someone who had more than they did and always someone who had less, so it was important for us to be grateful for and focus upon the things we DID HAVE. How wonderful to be able to sit down to dinner every night; to have a cozy bed with a quilt to sleep in on those cold winter nights; to have the health to enjoy the things around us; to have strong faith to see us through life's difficult stretches. Sometimes we would take turns naming things that we were thankful for...I have encouraged my grandchildren to develop this same train of thought.

We are such a blessed people and it has helped me (especially during my Cancer surgery and recovery) to count my blessings. As we progress on the journey of our lives, there are always things to be happy about or things to gripe about. One of the best habits we can develop is to focus on the positive aspects of our lives, to share them with others, and to let the rest be. I find the women at Sister Survivors to be this kind of people. Why else would they work so hard to
help the rest of us stay positive? Thanks to all of you who give so much to help all of us. You are among our greatest blessings as you continue to support us all.

Kathy Christensen
Guest Blogger

MONDAY MEMOIRS - Gratitude vs. Fear and Anger...

I was thinking about Gratitude, since that is the subject of our next support meeting. I was reading through a blog from a lady I know, and came across this gem...

"One of the incredible truths about gratitude is that it is impossible to feel both the positive emotion of thankfulness and a negative emotion such as anger or fear at the same time. Gratitude births only positive feelings — love, compassion, joy, and hope. As we focus on what we are thankful for, fear, anger, and bitterness simply melt away, seemingly without effort. Gratitude is not just the key. It's a magic key — all you need to do is use it, and the world is suddenly transformed into a beautiful wonderland, in which you are invited to play. That's because, like most of the great spiritual truths, gratitude is stunningly simple."

Get out your cancer journal, and write about this quote. Do you think that if you truly focus on feeling thankful for the good things (and even the trials) in your life, it's impossible to feel anger and fear? I'm interested to hear what you think.

MONDAY MEMOIRS - Fellow Survivors - Sisters...

This last week - on Thursday - Sister Survivors had their Kick Off. It was such a pleasant night. I met many new breast cancer "sisters". I wish I would have had more time to talk to them. Today, I thought it would be good to write about the other breast cancer survivors we've met throughout our cancer journeys.

For me, meeting other women who have gone through this has been an important step in my healing.

First, there were the women in my family and my friends - they helped me see that there is hope - that I can do what it takes to fight breast cancer.

Then there were the women I saw at the hospital/medical centers... those having chemo, or tests. I learned to recognize them by their bald heads, and beautiful countenances. These were my fellow survivors - and they helped me realize that I wasn't the only one fighting breast cancer.

Finally, there are those women I've met through Sister Survivors. These women have a passion similar to mine. We all want to make sure something good comes from our cancer battle - and helping other women with the fight is an important part of that.

Open your cancer journal today, and write about some of the women you've met who have helped you make sense of your cancer journey. Gratitude is the key here - keep your gratitude in mind while thinking of who to write about.

THURSDAY THOUGHTS - Gratitude

Taken from "Finding the 'Can' in Cancer" by Nancy Emerson, Pam Leight, Susan Moonan, and Terri Schinazi...

Gratitude has been described as the "great attitude." Although most people tend to take their lives for granted, life is in fact a gift, and every day that you are alive you receive many blessings. Even times of pain and adversity can be seen as opportunities for growth for which you can be grateful. By committing yourself to becoming more aware of your blessings, you strengthen your connection with the Spirit and are better able to recognize the wisdom and intelligence that underlies all of creation. Once you allow yourself to appreciate the lessons presented during times of struggle or life crises, the brunt of the pain subsides and a state of inner peace follows.

Take a few minutes each day to list everything you are grateful for!