It’s hard for me to remember anything good about the year 2020. As I recall, I was sick as a dog on December 31, 2019 while in Varanasi, India, and I missed touring the funeral ghats along the Ganges along with all the merriment of the turn-of-the-year celebration with my Overseas Adventure Travel compadres. Fortunately, however, the worst effects were short-lived, and I was able to continue with the 5-day trip extension to the south of India during the first five days of January. But being sick and traveling had taken its toll, and once back home I began 2020 with low energy, a disinterest in all food, and a lingering cough that plagued me for weeks. Then the coronavirus hit the world stage.
While neither Doug nor I consider ourselves social butterflies, we, nevertheless, folded our tiny social wings and dutifully followed the stay-at-home orders. As summer arrived, my saving grace was that Memorial Pool was allowed to open by advance reservation, and I took full advantage. In fact, it became my Happy Place until it closed near the end of August, just about the same time I received my cancer diagnosis. But as good fortune would have it, the pool at the YMCA was allowed to open for reserved lap swimming, so I was able to take out my growing anxiety, frustration, and fear in the water. It was not only my happy place but also became my comfortable and safe space. Throughout my entire seven week chemoradiation treatment, I missed only one week of swimming. And now in my eighth week of recovery, I have missed only one day. I can easily say being in the pool is what has allowed me to keep moving forward.
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But there is more. Much more. In the midst of all the chaos and uncertainty of my cancer journey, the crazy election, and the world pandemic, something wonderful happened. I was loved, and cared for, and fed, both physically and emotionally as I've never experienced before.
It was YOU – my friends, my family, and my acquaintances. And in turn this I-can-do-it-myself 71-year old was truly humbled.
YOU were there for me. The number of cards and texts and emails and flowers with greetings, good wishes, prayers and offers of help were both overwhelming and a huge surprise. And the Meal Train! The gifts of food sustained Doug and me during my treatment and recovery when shopping, cooking and eating were the last things on my mind. It all has been incredible and unexpected but oh so comforting and uplifting.
So my New Year's message to you is this:
- Thanks you for remembering me.
- Thank you for your kindness and thoughtfulness.
- Thank you for being in my life when I needed your support.
- Thank you for being the great human beings that you are.
