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Monday, July 21, 2008

Needed Disclaimer

I spoke with my father in law this morning and he expressed to me how difficult it is for him and his wife to read my blog for them. Difficult for very valid reasons. He made the point that since I am putting all my emotions out there for everyone to read that he is concerned. He also finds himself reading my blog and not knowing where I am at emotionally. He is concerned for my well being. I understand. I guess reading my blog is kind of like going to a book club with a bunch of ladies. There is one book, and a lots of different women reading this book through their experiences of life. That is the one thing that makes a book club work, and fun. There are so many different interpretations on the lenses of life.
I want to first of all say, that the Heather that started this blog is still a loving, free spirited, strong, positive, happy, soldier. I am. That has not changed, and will NEVER change. However, as with any cycle of grieving, there are stages. And you all are reading my journal. My process. For those of you that are more private, my sharing may be too much for you. Or for those of you that love me with all your heart and are private people, this may be too much for you to bear. Dad, you are one of those. I know you cannot handle reading my blog, it makes you cry, and you get to sad for me. But everyone, I am still writing to my Dad, even though he is not reading it. Why? Because it is my process. I have always been an open person.
The reason for this is that I have grown as a young adult and now woman because of you all sharing and opening your lives with me. As an evolving spirit, this is how we grow I believe. I feel that as an emerging society we tend to lock ourselves up and not share with others how we really feel, or how our days really are. But as simple human beings it is in our deepest core that we thirst for this connection. I learn and thrive from this. I appreciate and honour that this is foreign to many of you, and to my beloved husband. I thank him for allowing me to process in my way. If I wasn't this would all be unbearable to me. This single act along, is huge. So, for those of you that feel that this is not in a million years what you would do, even if the Head leader of FARC was going to cut your toes off one by one, please honour that this is my process. If it is too much for you, don't read it. I feel your support many many ways. Not from reading my blog.
One more thing, I am grieving. Every emotion I am writing about is real. Every cancer survivor, every doctor, every social oncologist that reads this blog emails me privately or for the brave that post comments, tell me that I am right where I should be. It may be very difficult to understand all the words that I write here, as you haven't walked in the world of cancer. I may spend days saying that I am anger and I may use the F word for a week, but know that my spirit can never be crushed. My spirit is still alive and flourishing, it is just processes. I feel like I was the blueberry bush that we just transplanted, right before it was to bear fruit. For all you gardeners out there that know this is a NO, NO, you never transplant when a plant is just budding. But you know what, to my delight, with a lot of water, even in the hottest days of July, that bush IS bearing blueberries. Lots of them. They are not as sweet as they were last year, and definetly not as juicy but NEXT year watch out. And I have so much awe of this mature bush. It survived, its fighting not only to live but to keep living. It is able to bear fruit in the midst of having the very soil and roots that have been planted so deeply in the ground, up rooted it is adjusting. Some days, some leaves are yellow and not pretty and they look sad. But when I water the bush, it gets happy and then when the sun gets really hot and its had a rough day, just trying to cope with making new roots, it survives.
The other plants in the yard that didn't get transplanted, like our cherrie trees do not understand what the blueberry bush is going through. All the cherry tree can say to the blueberry bush, is its own challenges. Like when one of its roots got severed by a giant machine and its limbs got cut. But it really doesn't know how hard the blueberry bush is pushing to keep producing happiness and berries. My life is like this. My blog is like this. My intention is to try to share with others my unique experience. My journal is to help others with their journey. My journal is giving me the strength to keep fighting. A fight that is not always pretty.
A man once said to me, smile. I got so angry with him because at that moment I was thinking. A deep thought that didn't make me want to smile. If I had smiled for him, it was only to make him feel like he had cheered me up, he had made me feel better. He didn't understand that I was smiling inside, I was just thinking. Many of my words may not make sense to you, because you are not in my head. So, a disclaimer is being made. I feel all of your support in the ways that you would like to support me. Please do not feel that you need to do anything, as I am on my journey, that does not support your growth as a human being. I love all of you, and again, this blog is TITLED: Heather's Journey. It will never be your journey, so you cannot read this as a journey you are on. It is my process, mine alone, and I own it. I own every feeling, every sharp, wild, nonsensical feeling. Because it all makes sense to me. Love you all with all the love in my heart. If you are here, you are here out of love, or out of your own suffering and you are able to connect with the wild journey we ALL call life.

6 comments:

tamara said...

I can totally understand that it's hard for people who love you to read this. And like you said, maybe they shouldn't...it's not for them. It's for you. BUT...I think it holds a very important reminder for all of us who love you and talk to you. We each might think of some interesting point to tell you, or hear a statistic we think is relevant, or be worried about you and think you should have a positive attitude or whatever, or not be sure where you are emotionally...but no matter what we want to tell you or ask you, we have to remember that THIS is the reality for you right now. The reality is that your head is spinning and full of all these emotions and worries and fears and terrors and griefs and that's all day, every day.

It's very different to throw a pebble into a smooth lake than it is to throw one into the raging ocean. You don't get to see a splash--an expected reaction--if you throw a pebble into 20-foot waves. You are living in 20-foot waves. It's our job right now to understand that and not expect stuff from you, like to calm US down or whatever.

Also, this whole 'positive attitude' and 'where are you emotionally' stuff is impossible. I'm sure that changes moment to moment. And we all have to remember that everything has the word 'cancer' appended to it for you. it's always there. So it's a postitive attitude...about CANCER. It's dealing well with your emotions...about CANCER. for you, the extra word is always there. For some of US, it may be easy to forget about that.

Tink1272 said...

Brilliant analogy! And so true. I'm glad that you are not selfish to think that everyone should understand. I was. It made things a lot more difficult. You are doing well, my dear. Keep it up (as long as you can!) :-)

Anonymous said...

Tamara,

Thank you. Thank you, thank you. Thank you for saying in words what I feel I am unable to explain to people. This is the first comment that captures the essence of my experience. I am truely blown away with how well and how HEALTHY you were able to articulate my journey. Love You!

tamara said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
tamara said...

Blogger tamara adlin said...

In reading some of the other stuff on your blog, I guess the challenge is to figure out how to tell other people what is helpful and what isn't, and how not to inadvertently push people away as both you and they figure out how to have a loving and supportive relationship in this new reality. I know I was afraid to say the wrong thing until I actually got a chance to talk thru that issue with you in person. Maybe that's what it's going to take with others too. Ugh. Like you don't have enough to do. :)

More water analogy, but when people really hurt me I think 'drowning dog.' TERRIBLE image...but the idea is that when an animal is in trouble in the water, if you get close to it, it scratches the living shit out of you trying to climb to safety. Right now, you might be in drowning dog mode and that's got to be ok for a little while. Like, maybe you can say "you might try to say something you are SURE will help me (swim close to try to help) and I may scratch the hell out of you. I'm not trying to hurt you. I'm trying to save me. And I haven't figured out the best way to do it yet...or the way to do it without scratching anyone. I'm working on it. Meanwhile, don't feel that you have to help me. Just swim calmly with me for a while." Or something less cheesy.

Later on, you'll have more capacity to figure out relationships and how you can both give and take in them. But right now? Good lord, you're starting Chemo in like a few days. You've been in this new world for less than 2 months. I think it's freakin' fair enough to RECEIVE for a while. Like at the end of yoga class...you do all this work, and then you get to receive. To tell people that you are hypersensitive and that you will take responsibility to try to say when something bothers you and not just react. But other than that, you just need solid support. Like, hold-your-hand, tuck-you-in-at-night support. Give-you-a-hug support. For a little while.

Love you so much lovely lady.

Julie Baker said...

You are a wonderful inspiration! This about you right now and how you choose to get through this is what counts. Yes it may make some uncomfortable but it is not our cancer to battle it is yours.We need to support you until you have kicked it's ass right out of your body. Keep fighting keep living and see you back at the gym when you are ready!!