Today is a perfect example of a perfect day in the life of retirement. When else can you, in the middle of the week, plan a visit to out of province friends? Stay in a quaint hotel, deal directly with the owner by phone when booking a room at noon, check in with her at 9 p.m. and check out with the same person at 9 a.m. She's owned the place for 45 years and lives upstairs! At breakfast, we watched the migratory birds gather on the Richelieu River for a preflight early morning conference, surely filing their flight paths with air traffic control and reconfirming their lead pilots. Today, we drive leisurely back to Kingston allowing me time to ponder what stories might come forth in my random wanderings.
As the pavement rolls by beneath, a plane is flying above to who knows where, music from the 70’s on the truck stereo leaves me with a free spirit, with little to no concern about this diagnosis I carry around day to day. Let’s just live life weaving in and out of the obstacles, around and about the medical appointments, dancing our way into the future to who knows where. A recent saying floated into my mind, one resonating deep within my soul and one I’m praying to live by.
It’s simply this, “Look at myself as God sees me, and let His light shine through me to everyone I meet.” Seems a pretty easy way to live the first, and really, only two commandments, to love God and love one another.
Loving one another was in action yesterday and today when we visited Frank and Mary, 96 and 89, still living in their own immaculate home despite Frank’s declining health. Boy oh boy anyone would love to look so well as he does, even now. They moved back to Quebec after almost 25 years in Ontario where we became fast and forever friends. Another chosen family, there when we need them, sharing in the good times and the inevitable challenges. This time it was our turn to visit them during a lull in between surgeries and hospital stays – on either of our parts.
Before I get too far, a quick medical update, quick because it’s quite brief with most of my bodily functions in order. I’ve put two cycles of chemo to bed and start the third next week. I’ve decided chemo will be our winter project with life happily cobbled around the weekly draws of blood followed by a couple of hours sitting in ‘the chair’ pre-meds to stave off nasty reactions and the cocktail to coax the cells into slumber. I continue to marvel at how easy it is to accommodate this dimension in my life as long as I’m in the right frame of mind and heart. Keep ahead of any aches and pains, rest in advance of exhaustion and continue to live life. I have to confess to a weakness when it comes to vanity.
Since a long absence of getting my hair cut and styled, I finally had it pixied and highlighted. What a change of outlook. It seems like I somehow fit better within my own body – because of a hair cut? – sort of, but also getting more active with 5 days in a row at the pool last week. Maybe the last vestiges of the roly poly, Pillsbury Dough Girl have worn off taking the feelings of puffiness with them. I feel as though I can move a little more freely than in the past and the warm water of course is so comforting and soothing.
Mike and I just watched a program on health and weight including using the ‘string test’ to determine one’s overall fitness according to the BMI (Body Mass Index) theory. It’s supposed to give us a more accurate reading of our fat carrying health. Take a string, measure how tall you are, remember it, or write it down, then cut the string in half and see if it can go comfortably around your waist. I’m not kidding, try it and maybe look it up so I don’t have to here, and bore those with no interest at all in this topic lol. My BMI while finally back in the normal range, I ‘failed’ the string test by 4 inches around my waist. Mike agreed with me though, with the mass I’m carrying around in my liver of 4 in x 5 in could well account for my failure. It was interesting if nothing else and while I suppose it doesn’t matter what I do at this stage, how I feel physically does matter.
A year ago today I was laid up in KGH, not really in control of many of my faculties. What I thought was flu, turned into a full blown cancer crisis landing me 10 days in Haven Hospital. The only place to be when you’re that sick. Fortunately for me, once we navigated through the tsunamis of pain, and waves of possible infection, I landed back in the land of the living and home. The only place to be when you’re over being that sick. I’m ever so grateful we’ve been able to stay ahead of any such storm since. Despite some progression of disease. Maybe we’re getting better at playing the game, mindful of the warning signs along the path of our adventures.
We’ve been to 80thand 90thdrop in birthday parties, 50thanniversary afternoon dance, a comedy show, figure skating, memorial service, old friends, new friends and more. All in the last couple of weeks. Something noticeable among the people we’ve spent time with, is how those who remain physically active into their retirement years, have considerable spunk and energy regardless of age. We all need to remember to stay as flexible as our achey brakey bodies let us. I’ve spent time in the pool at the Y with ladies well into their mid nineties who have no reservation about donning a bathing suit and swimming for 20-30 minutes no matter the weather. Talk about inspiration and role models! These observations helped me appreciate the importance of an active lifestyle, on which I believe I’d been living B.C. (before cancer) and working to maintain ever since. The biggest downside is the ongoing levels of fatigue. A little answer to it is, even if falling asleep in a chair, get up, move around, sit somewhere else and do something. Anything. It works. I’m doing it right now. I started this post in the truck around noon and here I am after 7 p.m. trying to finish it before my self-imposed deadline of sometime tonight.
Thanks for walking through my rambling and thoughts attached to the seemingly ordinary things in life. My eyes are seeing more clearly the beauty of God around me and my ears are hearing the whispers He shares with me (? Only me? Others? Those who pause to listen?). The gentle smile to or from a stranger all lighting up the path of life.
Sometimes in life we just have to go with whatever is in our heart or sixth sense or whatever you want to call it. I personally believe they are little nudges from God to act on something you may otherwise dismiss. I’d like to close with an update on a story I shared with you over the summer about the ‘girl in the lighthouse ice cream shop’ in Neil’s Harbour, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Remember the story about the sea glass? How I ran back to ask if she might pick me some pieces from the beach and send them to me and she did!!!!
A few weeks ago I received a Thank You card in response to the Thank You card I sent to her for sending me the sea glass. It reads (excerpts)….
‘Thank you for the wonderful card and blog (I sent her a printed copy of the post with her story). I appreciate your kindness, but I never expected money in return. (I had offered to pay her for collecting the sea glass and meant it) I have been blessed to meet you and am incredibly touched by your heartfelt words’……….I have been busy with school, running and volleyball, but I haven’t stopped thinking about you. I showed my family members your cards and blog and they are just as touched as I am. Please accept this bracelet as a gift for everything you have done. I received it on my day of confirmation and want you to have it. Thank you for everything!’
All of this from a lightning strike thought of asking a student to do me a favour. It brings my thoughts right back around to the start of this post as an example of ‘allowing me to see myself as God sees me, so His light can shine through to everyone I meet.’ All the glory of the story belongs to Him. I just paid attention and followed the nudges.
Until next time, Just Bee whenever you can, be open to the signs and love one another.
Take care, hugs and
God Bless,
Liz
dobbsjones@gmail.com
"Prayers wrapped in faith and sent with love are the greatest gifts we can receive."
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