Love IS the right word. So much beautiful wisdom here. And symbolic too. It makes me think of this wisdom which you grasped and articulated quite profoundly:
"The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don’t wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy." ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
As I make my way thru summer , I remember the initial diagnosis, and having to drive to the mountains so I could process something that just couldn’t process within these 4 walls.
I am so very grateful for every dawn but the memory of the abyss is still not far away.
There is a meditation sutra that tells us -
To position ourselves safely at the edge of a cliff or gorge . Gaze into the abyss and see only depth. Immediately doubts dissolve, Dilemmas disappear, Be steady as the mind releases itself , Into its natural freedom - Lorin Roche
As someone who endured chemo, and now a secondary cancer and surgery, I almost didn’t read this because of my niggling nausea when someone begins to explain the ‘gift’ of cancer. However, its inescapable that anything so life changing can not come with traumatic growth. Realization of the small things being the big things. Almost everyone I know who has gone ths road feels moments of intense joy and relief. Well reasoned and lovely and sending healing thoughts out to the universe from my place in it this morning that you experience long period of health.
Hannah, this captures my experience exactly - it is a strange realization to find these contradictions are able to be held at the same time. I was in a similar place in my treatment a year ago, and my absolute worst days also brought me my deepest experiences of inner joy. Love is exactly what it is.
Love IS the right word. So much beautiful wisdom here. And symbolic too. It makes me think of this wisdom which you grasped and articulated quite profoundly:
"The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don’t wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy." ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Thank you for such kind words, Stephanie <3 I love that quote!
As I make my way thru summer , I remember the initial diagnosis, and having to drive to the mountains so I could process something that just couldn’t process within these 4 walls.
I am so very grateful for every dawn but the memory of the abyss is still not far away.
There is a meditation sutra that tells us -
To position ourselves safely at the edge of a cliff or gorge . Gaze into the abyss and see only depth. Immediately doubts dissolve, Dilemmas disappear, Be steady as the mind releases itself , Into its natural freedom - Lorin Roche
Cancer really helped me love this sutra!
As someone who endured chemo, and now a secondary cancer and surgery, I almost didn’t read this because of my niggling nausea when someone begins to explain the ‘gift’ of cancer. However, its inescapable that anything so life changing can not come with traumatic growth. Realization of the small things being the big things. Almost everyone I know who has gone ths road feels moments of intense joy and relief. Well reasoned and lovely and sending healing thoughts out to the universe from my place in it this morning that you experience long period of health.
Wow. Thank you for sharing this beautiful reflection with us.
Hannah, this captures my experience exactly - it is a strange realization to find these contradictions are able to be held at the same time. I was in a similar place in my treatment a year ago, and my absolute worst days also brought me my deepest experiences of inner joy. Love is exactly what it is.
I’ve been having a hard time expressing the same feelings/ideas/thoughts.
Beautifully and wonderfully said, Hannah.
Taking is from f*ck cancer to the positives was beautiful. Ty