I have a lot to be thankful for

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This year, over my previous 34 Thanksgivings, I have a lot to be thankful for.  I have always been grateful for my family, friends and health, but this year above all, I am putting my health first.  See how I put it last?

As we ALL know, I am a breast cancer survivor.  Do you have any clue  how amazing it is to say the word SURVIVOR?  I really didn’t realize the enormity of it until quite recently.  Every so often I forget and think shit, I still have cancer but I don’t and I pray nightly that I never have cancer again.  So as we go into the holiday season, I am thankful for so much including my family but am putting a little extra star over health.

I started thinking about being thankful earlier in the week, and what I wanted to say on Thanksgiving.  What came to mind was saying thank you to those around me, and properly giving them the acknowledgment that they rightly deserve.  In our society there is a lot of doing, and not enough thanking.  I think that at times I am so guilty of that and am trying to be cognizant of my mistakes especially with my NEW self.  Maybe I haven’t said thank you enough, but please know that I am appreciative of your love and support over the past 6 months.

What I have learned over these months, is that people are good.  People are really fucking good.  I have been a cynic, hell I still am at times, but there are good people in this world.  They happen to be in MY world.  Before my cancer or “BC,” I was worried at times that I didn’t have a friend in the world that cared about me.  I am so fortunate and thankful to be proven wrong and made friends with people who I never would have expected.  These people have outdone themselves whether it was delivering me food or cupcakes, offering to get the kids to school or play dates.  Bringing Zack and myself ice cream or sending flowers.  These people are GOOD.  We had the extra poundage to prove it.

Another thing I learned is that friendships can be fleeting.  There have been people who showed up, and they left.  Mostly people stayed in our lives.  That is what I am thankful for.  The good, the good hearted souls that we are surrounded with.  People that care for me and my family POST cancer, people that ask how we are on a daily basis, how Asher was after his surgery.  Those are the people that we want to be with.  Friendships that I have formed aren’t fleeting, they are staying and I hope are golden for a very long time.  There will always be a place in my heart for my girls in the Triple C club.  You know who you are, and the new members who we are sadly inducting.

Aside from friendships, I am obviously thankful for a clean bill of health.  Not just for me, but for my children and husband.  We made Blue Shield our bitch this year with all of our medical costs, but we are fortunate to be on the other side now.  Between Asher’s eye and my boobs, we did good!

Zack, what can I say about him.  My partner in crime, my soul mate, my landscape architect.  He was beside me each and every chemo, nursing me back to health.  He made our backyard beautiful with his planting.  Now we see the fruits of his labor as everything has grown in and blossomed.  We might remember them as a memory of a dark place, but out of the dark came the light and we are now literally eating our fruits of his labor.  I can never explain my gratitude enough, but it is there.

Finally I am thankful for my mom, dad and sister.  Without those three over the last 6 months, I am not sure what we would have done.  They took the kids when I was sick from chemo, Jana played airplane and did art projects, there were trips to the zoo and aquarium.  What a summer those kids had!  My mother is my rock, she has gone with me to almost every single appointment from the start.  She stares at my boobs to make sure Dr. Slate makes them even.  She reminds me to get my medical card.  I forgot again mom.  I really don’t know how she does it to be honest, the woman needs a vacation!

So as we go into Thanksgiving, and my favorite holiday season I am smiling from ear to ear.  I am thankful.  Just thankful.

Eat, Drink and be Merry my friends.  From my family to yours, I wish you the happiest of Thanksgivings.

xo,
Jessie

 

 

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