"Survivor"

I'm a sucker for solid writing about relevant topics.  You know, the things that let your brain roll them over for hours, even days, or the articles and blogs that make you think, "YES!  They are so blessed to be able to put that into words!"  As I was bouncing through articles in the late night (now early morning), I stumbled onto a link shared by the Maine Cancer Foundation.

MCF is an organization I've only become involved with in the past year, but I've been greatly impressed by them.  Their network is incredible and they're not afraid to tackle big issues, but know that even small things make a difference in the lives of Maine cancer patients and their families.

The New York Times article they shared, entitled Lost in Transition After Cancer, made me both glad and sad at the same time.  This was ironic or appropriate or both given the tone of the article and subject.  This woman does an INCREDIBLE job of putting into words what so many of us struggle with, at varying degrees, on a daily basis.  Her writing is gut wrenching, powerful, and raw.  She doesn't shy away from the bare bones, ugly truth: being a survivor is not something that you just do and then are; it's an hourly and daily learning curve - even when you're nearly 15 years cancer free.  In a way, it's freeing to know "I'm not the only one," but it's also terrifying at times to know that and to also know there is a huge gap in care and resources for so many people.

For 15 years, the one thing that keeps me moving over hurdles, new challenges, old challenges, and roadblocks is knowing that I was created for a purpose and I "survived" for a purpose.  Therefore, I am not only still learning to "survive," most importantly I'm still learning to live.

Read.

Ruminate.

Digest.

Survive. Live.