SEPTEMBER 7TH - FREE Spa Day for Survivors

Lifting Hearts and Walmart are hosting a FREE Spa Day for Survivors THIS Saturday, the 7th of September, from 8-12.  It's in the Riverton Community Center: 12830 S. Redwood Rd. Riverton.  (We are sorry about holding this so far away, but the 2 Walmart stores that will be helping are Riverton and Sandy, so we needed to be closer to them.  Plus, we are inviting survivors from all over Utah and this is a more central location.)

Directions:  Take I-15 north to the 123rd South Exit.  Get off the freeway, and head west until you get to Redwood Road.  Turn left at the light (south), and the city buildings are not even 1/2 mile away.  You'll see the pink balloons.  We will be in the Community Center, which is the building right behind the front city building.

It's really important that we have as many survivors there as possible, because this is a BIG fundraiser for Lifting Hearts.  It's FREE for survivors - all you have to do is show up and get pampered.  That's it!  But, it's important that we DO show up so that Walmart will remain excited to help us out each year.  So, please do come.

We will be offering manicures and pedicures, done by Mandalyn Academy.  Massage/aromatherapy done by Taylor Andrews Academy.  We'll also be offering facials and hair styling.

I'm excited to tell you that we have a yoga guru, Ramdas Ormond, who will be offering 3 different classes: 8:30, 9:30, and 10:30, along with a guided meditation class at 11:30.  No need to bring mats.  He will be teaching breathing and relaxation techniques, and some gentle yoga moves for strengthening upper body.

On top of all that, there will be food, door prizes, and each survivor will be taking home 2 nice gifts.

We'd love to have your support - EASIEST fundraiser you've ever attended, right?  All we ask is that you show up, and be pampered.  Wow!

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 - The Road Less Traveled By

Sorry, my friends, for being so neglectful of this blog lately.  I even forgot to post Kathy's Thursday Thoughts last week!  I'm finding that planning and executing a huge event (our 5K) is taking a LOT of time and effort.  I get so busy that I forget some of the important things. :)

The other day, I was reading Robert Frost's poem - The Road Not Taken.  I've always loved that poem.  But, as I read it this time, I saw those last few lines in a different light...

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Four years ago, I was faced with two different roads - one went into the past , where I was healthy, and one went into the future - I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  I didn't really have a choice about taking that road - my life had veered off onto that road without a choice being involved.  I went down that road by necessity.   It's definitely a road less traveled by - only about 1 in 8 women will be faced with breast cancer in their lives.  A statistic that is a bit scary, but still - not every women will have to travel this road.

However... that last line - "that has made all the difference" - that's what resonated with me this time.  The road I took 4 years ago has made all the difference in my life.  Sure... some of the differences are obvious - my body is different, my mind is different, and my soul is different.  Some differences are hard to bear, but the biggest difference - the one where my life has taken on a whole new meaning... that's the difference that is the most important.

Without breast cancer, my children wouldn't have learned - first hand and early in life - the importance of service, and unconditional love from those around them.  Without breast cancer, I wouldn't have slowed down and learned to appreciate the simple things in life.  Without breast cancer, I would never have become involved in charity the way I have.  Without breast cancer, I wouldn't have had the privilege of helping this wonderful group.  Without breast cancer, I never would have met all of the beautiful, strong, courageous women who make up the membership of Lifting Hearts.

I CAN imagine my life with real boobs, fewer aches and pains, and more hair... but I CAN'T imagine my life without these opportunities - I never would have met RuthAnn, Colette, Bethanie, Beth, Diane, Kathy, Denise, Judy, and countless others who have touched my life, and made it better.

I took the road I was forced to take... and that made ALL the difference.  

THURSDAY THOUGHTS - Line Upon Line, Precept upon Precept

GUEST POST

I have been thinking lately about the fact that much of life is a process. As we go through our experiences here, most situations take a great deal of time to master. For instance, when I started my job at the bank over 15 years ago, I have never worked on a computer; I barely knew how to email my friends! During those first few months I felt absolutely lost. I decided to listen and learn all I could from those around me. I worked hard, made lists to memorize commands on the computer, and gave it my best effort. Now, fifteen years later, I am quite competent and I love my job. There are still occasional situations I have problems with, but they are the exception not the rule, and there are always people to help me when I need them.

Another example is my father who is making the adjustment, after 61 years of marriage, of living without my mother who died just over a month ago. I talked to him after a particularly rough day and tried to explain to him that after being married for 61 years, he couldn’t hope to adjust to this new phase of his life in one month. I told him although he is progressing well, that this is a process with ups and downs along the way. It reminded me of a scripture that reads,“ Be not weary in well doing for ye are laying the foundation of a great work and out of small things proceedeth that which is great.” I have never thought of that passage in this light, but it certainly applies.

I remember my cancer diagnosis. It came out of nowhere and left me absolutely stunned. Learning to deal with it and to handle the emotions it presented was once again a process. There was surgery to be followed by radiation treatments; there were financial concerns and family worries like how to tell everyone; how would things work with my job? And the list goes on. Lifting Hearts, now 100 members strong, has assisted and continues to assist those of us who are progressing through our own Cancer journeys. They help us deal with this disease on a physical, emotional and spiritual level. Little by little we become stronger as we move along. I want to close with the words to a song I heard in a musical play over 25 years ago (words by Lex De Azivado) because it expresses how I feel about the various progressions in our lives.

Line upon line
Precept on precept
That is how he lifts us
That is how he teaches his children

Line upon line
Precept on precept
Like a summer shower
Giving us each hour his wisdom

If we are patient we shall see
How the pieces fit together in harmony
We’ll know who we are in this big universe
And we will live with him forever.

How wonderful it is to know that one so much wiser than we are is guiding us through the progressions in our lives and sending us the help we need. I know this to be true.

Kathy Christensen
Survivor
Member, Lifting Hearts

THURSDAY THOUGHTS - We Do Real, We Do Grace, We Do Hugs, We Do Family, and We Do Love...

Guest Post:

This year I received a Christmas gift that was one of the best (if not THE BEST) gift I have ever been given. For the past two years I have been telling my kids, "All I want for Christmas is current pictures of all of you so that I can redo the pictures on my walls." Now decorating is not one of my strong suits and I think my family knows that. It is one of those tasks that always seems to get put on my back burner (way back there). The measuring, planning, framing and all that goes with it just sends me into orbit, so I keep putting it off for "one more week."

My husband and I went to Texas for ten days over Christmas to visit our grandchildren. When we returned I found the entire pictue wall in my dining room had been redone. Although it is still a work in progress, I was stunned and pleased to see all of the work that had been accomplished. My daughter in law spearheaded the project and I was thrilled and impressed with her perception. Near the hammer and nails, I found the page that she had used to measure and create the desired format for the pictures on the wall. Right in the center of the wall was the following message written on a black canvass base with white lettering:

IN THIS HOUSE:

We do second chances
We do grace
We do real
We do mistakes
We do I'm sorry
We do loud really well
We do hugs
We do family
We do love.

I don't know where she found this, but it fits our family and the spirit in our home perfectly. I couldn't help thinking to myself how many wonderful blessings have come my way since my Cancer diagnosis. Because of the incredible progress in medical technology I am here to enjoy my children, their spouses, our grandhildren and almost more love than my heart can hold. Our group Lifting Hearts helps so many Cancer patients to move forward in a powerful way with their love, support and guidance. They are there for each of us when the going gets rough or even if we just need someone to talk to. In our Lifting Hearts family we also do real, we do grace, we do hugs, we do family and we do love...and we are off to a great start in this New Year.

Kathy Christensen
Survivor
Member of Lifting Hearts

THURSDAY THOUGHTS - Ease the Burden of Others

Guest Post:

One morning last week I was going through the motions of getting ready for work. You know shower, deciding what to wear, blowing my hair dry and putting on make up...the normal routine. While doing this, I happened to glance up at the framed quote on my wall..."You have to keep on keepin' on." It was my Grandma Belle's trademark quote while she was alive and it hangs proudly in all of our homes. This morning was different than most because many mornings it hangs there and I hardly notice it. This morning, however, it spoke to me in a most distinct way. I began to recall that it has been almost three years since my Cancer diagnosis and surgery. I remembered how the diagnosis came out of nowhere. It was a total and complete surprise as well as a definite wakeup call. Although I truly felt that everything would be OK, the experience was unsettling at best.

Of course I have a wonderful family and great friends who lent me support, but when I attended the first meeting of Lifting Hearts (formerly known as Sister Survivors)I became acquainted with many women going through the same experience. It gave me such a sense of belonging and also helped me gain a more heatlhy perspective of my entire cancer journey. There I found most positive women who had emerged through scenarios much worse than mine and done it with dignity and style. Meeting them helped me greatly in my own efforts to "keep on keepin' on."

Because I am a writer, I love reading the quotes and works of other writers. Charles Dickens once said,"No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it to anyone else." In a very real sense the women at Lifting Hearts helped to lighten my burden so I could see my situation through realistic eyes and ease some of the original panic I felt. I will always be grateful to them.

There are countless people around us who are struggling. It may be from a divorce, difficulties with children and their choices, health issues, loss of a loved one, or in this particular economic climate...financial stress. The most wonderful thing we can do in so many cases is try to ease the burden of others we meet with encouragement, love and support, just as Lifting Hearts has done for us.

I want to close with the following quote which is an inscription from a church in Upwaltham, England:

"I wish thee not riches, nor the glow of greatness, but wherever thou go some weary heart shall gladden at thy smile, or shadowed life know sunshine for a while. And so thy path shall be a track of light, like angel's footsteps passing through the night."

Kathy Christensen
Survivor
Member of Lifting Hearts