7 days of Thankfulness, learned lessons, and thoughts on the past year…

On Aug 7, 2014 I was diagnosed with cancer. Melanoma, which I had vaguely even heard of. A very fast whirlwind of doctors, and surgeries encompassed me over the following several days, and weeks. Now a year later after a year of being a survivor I am able to reflect on a few things.

Over the next 7 days before my "cancerversary" or something of the sorts they call it, I want to name 7  themes I have learned, not perfected, over the past year while navigating through a cancer diagnosis and treatment. There is a ton of new that comes with a life diagnosis like this. Just making room for this nusiance is a whole world in itself. I have gained perspective in so many ways and I'm looking forward to living and learning as a survivor. This is where my story went deeper, this is where my testimony came real, this year was where, when hard hit the pavement I was forced out of my comfort and into living his story written. I don't see my cancer journey as a trail of bad luck or misfortune, but as a chosen path, one where I've grown and learned and have been and will be forever changed from.

Today on Aug 1 I have to start with Thankfulness and Gratitude.  Being more Thankful and learning how to live this abundantly, has changed me friends.

1. Gratitude. Just being thankful. For everything. Every big and small gift God has given. Every person, every friend, every opportunity. I'm thankful. I did not just wake up this way one morning, but I have cultivated a discipline of the mind, training myself to be thankful.  I am the most underserving in everything everyone has done for me, besides a cancer diagnosis. My people, you have stepped out and carried us through. I never knew how to be thankful, I still don't know how to do it the best way, but that too I am trying to attain. Sometimes I can just say it, why never before did I just fail to say it? Thank you. Some people love huge and give huge, some people write cards, and send texts, some people have no clue how to operate in hard and tough, they have just walked right into our mess. I would have never chosen to be on the recipient end of cancer and sickness and hard, but I am so thankful for those of you who got me through this first year. (Through a breathtaking scary diagnosis, through surgeries and sickness, through emotional strain and shock.) In my life prior I was too quick to be critical, pessimistic, and I failed often to see things to be thankful for no matter the circumstance. Over the summer I have started a thankful journal and read through books about how to be grateful, and thankful for our circumstances, even when that means its really really hard. I have learned that being thankful first is a discipline that changes everything. This year has challenged me, I've grown, and I have a new thankful perspective. SO to start this week off, and as we journey past our first year in all this, I want you all, everyone of you who have come along side of us, to know- How thankful we are for you. You deserve a standing ovation, I am unmerited. 

These are several pics from over the year. Many days of sickness and healing. These were real times, hard times, but thankful, times too...