Life Changes.

Sometimes when you are in a dark place, you think you’ve been buried, but you’ve actually been planted. ~ Unknown

A few days ago I was reflecting on how much my life has changed over the last few months. Things which used to be high on my priority list, have lost their importance with a new set of priorities emerging to fill their space. A diagnosis of breast cancer, while not necessarily a death sentence, has evoked a shift of mindset as I search for a sense of purpose and meaning for my life.

I have discovered several things on my journey down this new path:

A Source of Inspiration.
Many people ask how I can remain so positive and upbeat about my diagnosis. Years ago when a high school friend was diagnosed with breast cancer, her doctor told her she had six months to live. Instead of being paralyzed by the news, Katrina sat down and created a list of things she wanted to accomplish, including seeing her daughter graduate from Harvard (she was a freshman at the time) and reuniting our high school graduation class, most of whom had drifted apart over the years. She contacted many of us, and word spread of the upcoming reunion in Jamaica, which she singlehandedly organized from California while undergoing numerous experimental treatments. Over 50 of our classmates from all over the world showed up and it was an overwhelming success.

Katrina accomplished every one of her goals and had to create a new list, before she died seven years after her diagnosis. The year she died, I formed a Relay for Life team in her honour, and our team of 30 persons raised over $100,000 towards Breast Cancer Research. Having seen what Katrina accomplished through sheer determination and grit, has inspired me to not lie down and wallow in misery, but to be positive, and hopefully inspire others the way she inspired me.

A New Family.
Breast Cancer survivors are a unique group of persons who have a wealth of strength and resilience which I have been blessed to experience first hand. I have been contacted by several survivors who have not been hesitant to provide me with support, advice and guidance. With this month being dedicated to Breast Cancer Awareness, I have seen and heard many stories of resilience and support which give me hope in the face of darkness.

Who you are is more important that what you have.
It is funny how material things lose their importance when faced with your own mortality. There is nothing more valuable than your relationships with others. My relationship with God, family, friends, co-workers and even acquaintances supersede any physical possession I may have, or wish to acquire.

The importance of Diet and Exercise.
Some people have commented that if I (who lead such a healthy lifestyle with diet and exercise as an important focus) can get breast cancer, then why bother to live healthily? My answer is that I have no idea what would have happened had I not changed my diet and lifestyle four years ago. My recovery from two surgeries in what seems to be a remarkably short time span, I attribute to my body being in peak condition.

My journey of Life continues as I travel my new path with gratitude and plans to bloom wherever I am planted.