Letting Go: Fear

Last week while I was out hiking I listened to a podcast on The Moth by an Australian comedic actress, Magda Szubanski. It’s called Reclaiming Fear. She speaks of vulnerability, shame, fear, forgiveness, and her father who happened to be a Polish assassin. I am not going to retell her story and destroy the beauty of the words she put together so eloquently, but you can listen to it at The Moth. One of the reasons I love stories so much...

The Brilliant Sky That Sets My Heart on Fire

This picture is from last week when our mornings were lit by bright, beautiful, cloudy, and hazy skies. I over-edited it because I love playing around with pictures where I can take what was, and make it feel like I felt, and see what my heart saw. I saw these vivid colors in my heart. It was everything in that moment.  I’m in a kind of dark place right now. I was supposed to have my three-month MRI today which...

Woman Falls in Love With Mountains

This week I’ve seen some of my friends just simply choosing out-of-the-ordinary ways to express their opinions across social media. These are typically positive, level-headed, kind people who share a variety of perspectives on life, yet we’ve always seen past our differences regardless of these viewpoints. I had a friend once say to me that what most people want is to love and be loved, feel safe, find happiness, make money, raise their children to be good adults, and die...

It’s the Climb

A year ago today Ron and I hiked Camelback Mountain, the largest peak in the Phoenix area, to celebrate his 60th birthday. We met a few other people on the way up and down who were also celebrating birthdays, so there were a few rounds of Happy Birthday that were sung, and a good time was had by all. It’s always a fun celebration and a fun group of people on the top of Camelback with celebrations of all types!...

Letting Go (Day 1 of 30)

I have committed to writing a blog a day every day this September to look back, let go, and take in all that I’m grateful for, and the blessings of the past year. Life with Glioblastoma feels like playing Russian roulette every day. Living a mystery in three month increments, from MRI to the next MRI. Cancer is a journey that clearly sucks, but has much to offer if we are able to see the gift through the struggle. My...

Looking Back and Letting Go

As August comes to an end and I look forward toward September I feel both extreme fear and anxiety, as well as a sense of elation, and a whole lot of gratitude. September marks a year since I was diagnosed with Glioblastoma and given a deadline, which only increased my will to live happily, find joy and love, seek the company of good people while releasing the toxic,and find gratitude in the most unusual circumstances. Every day from here forward...

Life With Glioblastoma

I wrote previously about Hiking Humphrey’s Peak with Howard, My Brain Tumor. Little did I know at that time that my world would be turned upside down on another hike, just a few months later. Early this summer I found out I had a brain tumor. I named him Howard, and against doctor’s orders took him for a long hike up a big hill—Humphrey’s Peak, Flagstaff, Arizona. Together we watched the most amazing sunrise I’ve ever seen.  After seeing the...