Saturday, December 23, 2006

Anniversary

Today is my anniversary. I have been married for 33 years today.
My friends invited us up to their house for a dinner party. I was so excited to go tonight. I just have been feeling like my life is dictated by the ugly word "cancer". It really is dictated by that word but yet I hope that we can go beyond that and still have days of fun and laughter. We did tonight. I laughed and laughed. It was like the days before cancer.
I realized the other day that for the rest of my husband's life the word cancer and the thoughts of cancer will always be with us. We will think of it or talk about it sometime probably every day. Some days it seems agonizing to me. I just want things to be like they were before. I want my "normal" back. Sometimes I feel so selfish because I just don't want to even think about it at all. Then I try to think how I would feel and reality hits me hard.
I feel tired and sometimes mistreated but then my husband brings me back to what this is all about. We are partners in a marraige and in life. As his partner I will do my part to help where I can. He told me today how thankful he was for the care I give him and suddenly I realized why I am doing all this for him. He needs me. Maybe for the first and only time, he needs me. With tears in his eyes and a very humble spirit he explained to me the importance I have in his life. That was my anniversary present today. I needed those words more than ever. Words of gratitude and love.
So 33 years ago I got married to a husband who keeps learning and growing just like I do.
Happy Anniversary to me.
Peace.

Monday, December 11, 2006

The Goodwill

I was doing some more unpacking. I realized that I really do have things I don't need anymore. You see I put value on these things and these things really don't deserve value.
I loaded up a trunk with several boxes of "things" and went to the Goodwill thinking that I was really doing good will. Well, I unloaded the boxes into a big bin which was then rolled over and put into the care of high school kids. The box on top had dishes that I had put value on. And you guessed it...the high school boy dropped the box and all the dishes were destroyed. I had put value on those "things" and I automatically thought that he would too. Then it hit me..."they are things". The value is the eye and hands of the owner. So I learned a lesson today. I am going to get rid of a bunch of "stuff" soon.
Even the things in life that seem to have value to me and maybe others, like things that are expensive for example are undeserving of the value we place on them. And by that I mean emotional value. The only valuables we have are the relationships we have with other people. People are where we should have good will. Then the value would grow and be passed on to others because valuable things acquire interest.
Do good will for others and send the "things" to Goodwill.
Peace