I’m discovering that expressing gratitude even in the most darkest of situations is vital to living a healthy life (follow us on Instagram where I post my daily expressions of gratitude). It’s breast cancer awareness month, and in honor, I’d like to share a bit of my own story and find ways to be grateful.
My mother’s diagnosis was swift and her life prognosis was short (cancer of the duodenum). She was 55 at the time, and I was living and working in NYC. Our relationship was always a bit strained: after the death of my Father when I was only 12, and he was 41, my Mom’s life fell apart. She became a severe alcoholic that brought her to the brink of death when I was only a sophomore in high school.
When you are trying to essentially kill yourself with booze, it leaves no time for things like cooking dinner for your daughter, taking her to the doctors, or actually doing anything that would resemble a normal mother/daughter relationship. She was severely broken, and moved out to live with her boyfriend when I was only 13. After a hospital stay where the detox almost killed her, she recovered and got the help she needed.
A decade later, then, when we learned that she would only have a few short months to live, I made the decision to move home to take care of her. We had about six months starting in November to her death in April. We celebrated Thanksgiving, Christmas and her last birthday together. She taught me how to crochet and sew, and we watched endless oldie-but-goodie movies while our two cats lounged with us around the house.
I was by her side when she took her last breath. And it was beautiful.
Here is what I am grateful for:
- Life can be a celebration even through very difficult times;
- Human connection is everything;
- Forgiveness sets you free;
- Even after death, loved ones are still with you; and
- Remembering that life is now.
With the same level of depth and research as our programs for infertility, I set out to create a program to help people with cancer at every step of their journey, and it is made specifically to help any type of cancer and stage. It has meditation programs and guided visualization that focuses on chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and new areas of research like immunotherapy and angiogenesis. I am very proud of this recently released program and feedback has been pretty spectacular.
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, we have a special offer of 75% of our Program for Cancer (expires 10/31). Please click here for more information.
With love & gratitude,
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