Optional (and suggested!) Ingredients to Survivorship....Part 2

So, to wrap up my series on the Ingredients of Survivorship, we have:
1) a great medical team
2) a great support system
3) Faith
4) Positive Attitude
5) Healthy Living
6 ) optional - a dash of the Arts

and finally....
7) a dose of Words of Wisdom

Words of Wisdom...that's something that my support group leader always ends our session with. We go around the table and each of us take a bit of candy from her candy jar and says something we either learned from the group that day, or brought with us from our journeys. To quote a Caregiver who attends weekly with his wife (leukemia survivor with an auto transplant)..."Be kind to your caregivers, we're only pushy because we care."   or  "Count your blessings...there are so many people with heavier crosses to bear."

This situation inspired me to create a quilted wall hanging for our Relay for Life team to raffle off as a fundraiser. See the picture below...the white boxes are for Survivors and Caregivers or Nurses to write their own Words of Wisdom in. It's not yet completed....but will be a nice keepsake or motivational tool for the patient in the midst of treatment.

   

Some of my other favorite words of wisdom come from famous Presidents, authors, artists, leadership experts, the Bible, etc. Such as....

I never really enjoyed history while I was in school...but there is truth to the saying that you have to know your past to know where you're going in the future. These tried and true quotes and sayings had real bearing on me during my treatment and recovery. But I had to be mindful of this: be humble enough to accept and respect the words of those who have been there before you. It may not have been specifically written with cancer journeys in mind, but "Never, never, ever give up!" certainly can apply to your situation.

Thanks for reading my blog. I am open to suggestions on what to write about in the future. Next time, I post, it will be a guest blog from WhatNext.com. Check them out...they are a great resource that matches like diagnoses so you can vent, ask questions, and receive support from others who have walked the same path you are going through right now. 

Blessings to you all,

Lisa