Turning Points & Surrender

It was his 2nd day of chemo and you could see the nausea slowly building behind his eyes, and yet his spirits were good.  As we talked, a wave of dark memories washed over me as I remembered my first few months in the hospital with my broken back, and the horrible pain and accompanying nausea.  Those days were wrapped around morphine shots until one night, alone and sobbing, I had a silent visitor teach me, surrendering to the pain and relaxing was better than a morphine shot.  The last line of Toni Morrison’s, Song of Solomon is, “If you surrender to the air, you can ride it.”  Surrendering isn't about giving up, it’s all about shifting to a place from which you can grow.  

Connectedness

Yesterday, I visited with a young man starting 5 days of chemo.  As I talked to him and his parents, I kept thinking how cancer is a family affair.  I walked to the parking garage with a minister who’d been visiting a parishioner, and as I left him at the elevator, I thought we don’t do cancer alone.  Today, I have early labs and then will meet with my oncologist mid-afternoon to discuss my cancer markers.  MaryBeth woke early and asks, “You see your oncologist today right, you okay?” I said yea, I’m in a good place.  A few minutes later she said, “We’re dealing better with OUR cancer”, and I agreed, for you don’t do cancer alone!  Connectedness is powerful medicine!   

Celebrate Being Alive

We’ve had our lake house for a little over 10 years, and somehow usually miss when our pear tree is in full bloom and covered in white fluffy flowers, but not this year.  This past weekend, my meditation walks usually ended at the pear tree, where I’d get lost in her warmth.  It’s always hard to leave the lake house on Sunday and return to the city, but last weekend was even harder, knowing we’d not return for several weeks because of travel, and the pear blossoms would probably be gone.  I smiled as we drove away realizing I’d celebrated the miracle of life with a pear tree.   In your meditation walks today, celebrate the miracle of being alive.  

Engaged Resilience

I love the new greens as the trees leaf out, and the grasses begin weaving their luscious carpet softly sprinkled with yellow, pink, and violet wild flowers.  Nature’s resilience is amazing in a world that in so many ways doesn’t seem to care.  This weekend I received emails from individuals that have dealt with multiple challenges, and somehow keep coming back with their spirits intact.  Resilience is one’s ability to persevere and adapt, and its foundation is optimism and positive thinking.  George Everly at Johns Hopkins suggests tenacity and interpersonal connectedness / support might be the most powerful predictors of resilience. We are neurobiologically wired for connectedness, but it is our life experiences that complete the circuits.  Is your positivism connected to others?

Attitude of Courage

We all have had moments of great fear in our journeys.  Times when we’ve run out of options and can no longer outrun the moment.  One of my favorite Patton quotes is, “Courage is fear holding on for a minute longer”.  I walked through the hospital yesterday filled with patients, caregivers and staff facing situations they never would have anticipated.  A whole family was wearing CANCER SUCKS t-shirts, definitely a family with an attitude.  The life space between fear and courage is miniscule.  The fear that disconnects us also drives us to first steps, and the courage to move forward, but it all depends on our attitude.  Attitude is the way we connect with our be-ingness.  Have courage to “be” today!     

Laughter Yoga Class

Laughter Yoga Class MD Anderson Cancer Center

“How important is laughter in your life?”  That question started my laughter yoga class yesterday to a group of cancer survivors and caregivers.  Research shows stress weakens our immune systems, can cause body resistance to treatments, and disturbs the healing process.  Laughter is a positive sensation that balances the chemical and hormones of the body.  It triggers the release of endorphins; the brains own painkiller and promotes an overall sense of well-being.  Laughter yoga is group exercise for the nervous and cardiovascular systems, and our spirits.  It’s a mix of clapping, chants, laughter and child playfulness.  The good news is that your body can’t differentiate between real and fake laughter, so the mantra in laughter yoga class is “fake it till you make it”. 

Achill Island Ireland

I love how life weaves together.  Our vacation to Achill Island off the coast of Ireland with good friends was special.  We hiked the sheep paths up Slievemore Mountain, and stood on the cliffs and watched the endless roll of black waves.  We rented surfboards and taught our daughters how to surf.  My great grandmother Sarah Baun was born in Ireland in 1843.  Sarah married Henry Baun, my great grandfather in 1864 in Pittsburgh.  My oldest Baun family Bible has a date written on its back cover of 1868.  Each time I hold this Bible, I imagine Henry and Sarah reading from it, and I am touched by a faith that reaches back 150+ years.  Pass your faith in life on!