I am always amazed by what can happen when we take the risk to reach out and connect with others.  This type of experience used to be called “strangers on a train” and then was known as “strangers on a plane” – the deep encounters we can have with people we have never met and [...]

If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. ~Nadine Stair
Today is the first day of spring which is known as the Spring Equinox. The Spring Equinox brings us a balance of day and night because the Sun is sitting [...]

The only mistake you can make is not asking for help.”  Sandeep Jauhar
What do you want to say to the people who are treating you for cancer?
What questions do you want to ask?
All too often we feel like we’re bothering our doctors with our thoughts and feelings.  We are afraid to take up too much [...]

“It’s OKAY to be scared. Being scared means you’re about to do something really, really brave.” –Mandy Hale
It’s really, really scary to face cancer. There’s no getting around this and it only makes us nuts to pretend we’re not frightened.  When I listen to people in my office, in workshops, groups and panel discussions describe [...]

“A writer out of loneliness is trying to communicate like a distant star sending signals. He isn’t telling or teaching or ordering. Rather he seeks to establish a relationship of meaning, of feeling, of observing. We are lonesome animals. We spend all life trying to be less lonesome.”     –John Steinbeck
When we’re in [...]

“Some survivors report that they later view the trauma as an event that added value to their lives through forced changes (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1988), whereas others wish it could all be undone, given the sacrifices involved in achieving growth (Kushner, 1981).”
Most of us aren’t rich and famous when we get cancer, the cameras aren’t [...]

The journey through treatment, as has been discussed, offers structure and, in a kind of hideous  way, gives us a road map and a set of  instructions. After completion of treatment,  physical trauma is often present due to surgeries, harsh and toxic chemicals that have been poured into the body and rays of radiation that [...]

What Happens Now?
What happens now? What happens next?
These are the questions that swirl in the mind and the heart of the survivor even before that last treatment. They begin to form without the knowledge of what is indeed next, or what will happen now. You are told about the follow-ups, often given some advice [...]

While there is a growing awareness of the needs of cancer survivors, it seems to me that we could simplify the entire process by one important question … “how are you?”  The next step, which is not as simple, is to listen to the answer. When someone really listens to us and we are heard, [...]

This can be a tough time of year for those who are dealing with cancer … not only those who are in treatment but their partners, families, friends and communities. The pressure to celebrate, to be happy and full of joy can be exhausting!  These tips from the American Cancer Society are offered as resources [...]