I haven’t added to my blog for a while. Life gets in the way. I’ve been going through a new Clinical Trial for my Multiple Myeloma and fatigue is a side effect. It also affects your motivation. Because I haven’t been able to write lately, I’ve felt guilty. Then, I realized I have been writing – posts on FB from time to time and updates on my Caring Bridge blog. So, because I’m a writer/storyteller at heart, my writing has been more focused on my cancer journey. I believe we write what is on our minds and that is what has consumed my mind lately.
Why do we feel the need to write? For me, it’s a way to process what is happening in my life. So many times I have been able to get a clearer picture of the questions I have and ways to approach a problem. An example of how writing has helped me in my cancer journey has been through writing in my Caring Bridge blog. Documenting my journey has helped me formulate questions for my medical team and realize what is important to me.
More than anything, I love my family and miss those who are not with us any longer. I miss my mom and dad, but those who have been on my mind lately are my sisters, Debbie and Marilyn. I found black and white pictures of us when we were little. We were stair steps – I’m the oldest, Debbie was two years younger, and Marilyn was two years younger than her. My youngest sister Sharon (Sherry) and baby of the family Dan are still with me. As kids, we moved a lot because my dad was a minister and would go from one church to another about every three to four years. As a result, I attended four different schools kindergarten through twelfth grade.
When you move to a new community and begin a new school, it’s always a challenge to make new friends. For me, it wasn’t as difficult as it was for some of my siblings. I think this would make a great theme for a new picture book. When I was still teaching reading, several of my students who were struggling with reading were kiddos who had moved several times. They lost out on continuity in reading instruction. Having difficulty learning can also lead to difficulty making friends and low self esteem. I envision a little first grader named Hope who has moved a couple of times and also receives help in reading. The title would of course have to be HOPE!
Lou and David Sears 