Focus on Gratitude:
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. ~Melody Beattie
As I shared my journey with people, I noticed that I always included gratitude. I was able to turn lemons into lemonade. For example:
When I had 20 daily sessions of radiation therapy, I’d tell people that I was grateful that Stanford was close to my house and my shuttle stop was just down the street so I could still catch it and get to work by 930am. Some patients had to drive an hour for radiation therapy and I was grateful I didn't.
During my radiation therapy, I was grateful for the time to lay still, close my eyes and meditate or repeat a manta. Just as I was beginning to relax, the radiation therapist would say, ‘okay, we’re done for today’.
Every time I’d go for an appointment, I was grateful for the kindness and compassion of the staff. I was there so much I felt like I was seeing my friends. The day of my lumpectomy, My husband, mom and friend Lori were there. I was in good spirits, excited about being cancer free! It was raining, but I saw a rainbow outside my hospital room and took it as a positive sign. The day after my lumpectomy, I had a post-op appointment with the surgeon and he said, “You were voted nicest patient!”
YOUR TURN: Sometimes it's helpful to think about how things could be worse, but you are glad they are not. What can you be grateful for in your breast cancer journey?
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