The other day as I was driving, “Stand by Me” a song by Ben E King came on my oldies radio station. When I got home, I had to look up the lyrics, and the first part really says it all….
When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we'll see
No, I won't be afraid
Oh, I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand
Stand by me
I am so extremely grateful for those that stand by me. I count myself blessed to have a circle of support from my loving family, friends, prior work connections, OCRA support and STS sisters, the cancer support community in Cleveland and my amazing care team. My support group continues to widen, from the AFC cancer survivors, to the local community who share my love of nature -the Women in the Wild, Hiker Babes, OneTree Love yoga, Women On the Water and the awesome North Pole Elf volunteers.
Through my years living around the country friendships have come and gone, but some flourish. I still connect with some good old Peninsula High School alumni! Those young friendships created the foundation for future relationships. Traveling for work for 20+ years brought many friendships along the way within the credit community.
I still have great friends from my years in Hawaii 40+ years ago and have had the opportunity to see them occasionally (yes, Andrea that’s you!) And this beautiful artwork is from my friend of 45 years Anne Nye. I know Facebook can be a bottom-less pit of yuk, but if used as a tool for connection it can be valuable. I know I’ve mentioned in prior posts, when someone comes to mind, it is usually a time to send a little light and love their way. Reach out with a card, email, message or simply a prayer.
If you don’t have a wide net of support, I encourage you to seek them out. For those dealing with cancer, look to your cancer support community, ask your health care provider for recommendations. For those that love nature, find a group via Meet Up or Facebook. If you have time to volunteer, look to your local hospital, nursing home or community organizations for opportunities to give back and meet new friends.
Be that person that someone thinks of when the song “Stand by Me” comes on. I know my list is very, very long!
P.S. As a health update, I remain stable with my Avastin infusions every three weeks. This has thankfully kept the cancer from growing for over a year! Whoot, whoot!!
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