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Thanksgiving Thoughts From A Cancer Survivor

By HERWriter
 
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I am thankful for more than one can write in a blog or a lifetime; my life a constant reminder of the great bounty with which I have been blessed.

I am thankful for a husband who makes every morning seem like a new and beautiful opportunity. I am constantly aware of how supported and loved I am, how no barrier is too high, no burden too great as long as we’re together. I am grateful for a partner who knows the true me and is still attracted to a life together.

I am thankful for my loving family. We’re a blended family, like so much of America today, a mélange of cultures and customs that invites the unexpected and teaches acceptance and tolerance. Above all, we are bound by love and we cherish our time together, keeping sacred moments deep in the folds of our hearts.

I am thankful that my mother, at the great age of 88, is still alive, still lucid, still strong. When I was young, I used to look at her hands and wonder if my hands would age as hers did, showing the hard work and gentle touch that made her an artist and a teacher. Now I wonder if I will be, as is she, a great grandmother some day.

I am thankful for friends who know my heart and remind me of my better self. Over time, our families grew, our careers evolved, our waist bands loosened and our high heels lowered, and we became women of a certain age sharing laughter and tears and wisdom to fill volumes, if only someone would listen.

I am thankful for healers for I am alive - not because of a procedure or treatment - but because the passion to heal burned so deep in certain young men and women that they invested half their lives in learning to mend and cure the sick. And I am the fortunate consumer of their skill.

I am grateful to live in a time that celebrates women’s voices, for we are the dimension that brings grace and compassion into full bloom in every society. We are the mothers who teach the next generation of leaders - boys and girls alike - how to think with their hearts. We are the caregivers tending sick children or aging parents. We are the seekers of beauty, the keepers of families, the soul of our communities.

I am thankful to share this moment of gratitude with you, for those who read my postings honor me by making my voice worth hearing.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Add a Comment5 Comments

Counting what I'm grateful for has become my morning ritual. It gets me going on tough days. Thank you for sharing your Thanksgiving thoughts. It reminds me of the Kaiser health system commercial in Ca showing old women cavorting around to the tune" When I grow up I want to be an old woman." I want nothing more than to be a grinning old gal dancing to my own tune.

December 21, 2009 - 9:24pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

Dear Annette. Lovely words, a wise reminder, and hearts full of grace and gratitude.

November 27, 2009 - 12:44pm
HERWriter

You honor me with your words. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones, Pat.

November 25, 2009 - 6:28pm
Expert HERWriter Guide Blogger

Hi Annette - Wishing you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving! You've been such a caring and healing voice for so many people, and we're thankful for the time, thought and grace you bring to us. All the best, Pat

November 25, 2009 - 5:33pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family Annette. As always, thanks so much for sharing your wisdom and insight. It always hits the right spot.

November 25, 2009 - 4:28pm
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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.

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