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Day One: Monthly Letter
I thought long and hard about how to approach this month's letter. So long, in fact, that the month is just about over and I'm still not sure I'm making the right decision but here goes.
Three weeks ago my mother was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer and the bottom
dropped out of my world. Over the last few years I've learned to accept the
fact that my father won't win his ongoing battle with terminal cancer but it
never occurred to me that my mother--my healthy, happy mother--would ever
face the same battle.
Oh, how little we know. The initial shock has worn off and we're beginning to regain our equilibrium--and begin to draw up a battle plan. My parents are dealing with the situation with a remarkable display of guts and humor but I'm afraid their only offspring is having a tougher time keeping her smile in place. I thank God every day that I have the world's best husband to share the experience with. I can't imagine how difficult it would be to navigate this emotional maze alone.
I promise I'm not going to make a habit of depressing the daylights out of you on a monthly basis (you know me better than that) but I do want to take this opportunity to remind you to listen to your body's signals. Respect your intuition. Don't ignore pain! Whether it's a Pap smear, mammogram, or colonoscopy, do what you need to do to stay healthy. The alternative is simply unacceptable.
Remember, you can receive a monthly notice about changes to my website by sending an email to BarbaraBrettonUpdate-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or one to me at barbara@barbarabretton.com and I'll be happy to subscribe you myself. Wishing you the best of Aprils ever,
In stores now:
Archived letters:
March 2001
Bio | Free Stuff | The Secret | Just for Fun | Scrapbook | Bookstore One and Only | Sitemap | Guestbook | Contest |
April, 2001
Now on to other, brighter news. Did you see the cover for A Soft Place to Fall?
If you look closely you can see Annie Galloway's cats (George and Gracie) in the
windows. And that big pooch sitting near the front door is Max, Sam Butler's
rescued stray. You'll have to wait until November to read how Max manages to
bring Annie and Sam together but I will be posting excerpts from time to time
so stay tuned.
