From the Ashes

I don't know if "reruns" are allowed in the blog world, but I posted this one for the first time almost a year ago. I thought that because I've been talking about pain in this life, and because it's the first day of spring, maybe it would be okay to rerun this particular blog entry. Good things do come from pain. Be sure to watch the video, it's amazing.

In this entry I want to do something different. Celebrate the cancer experience.

Yes it's tough. It knocks us to our knees, it humbles us, it changes us forever. Only we who have "been there done that" really understand how it changes us, what it does to our hearts and souls and bodies. But we become part of a new community of survivors, and many of us love that community and the people we meet here. Someone spoke to me recently about the different ways each of us "rise out of the ashes" of our cancer experience. I think most of us are changed for the better.

I see life nowadays as a school, problems are the curriculum. Bigger problems are the tougher classes. Those of us living with a cancer diagnosis have been taking the advanced classes, the astrophysics courses of life. Sometimes I think of the "Why Me" part of the experience and think in reality, maybe it was because I was worthy of a promotion to advanced life courses? Maybe I got to skip a grade? At this point I am very grateful for what I have learned. I am actually thankful for the experience.

I know, it's easy for me to say that, I've already out-lived my life expectancy and made it to the 5 year mark. I've only recently been able to feel grateful for the experience.

I got to thinking that many of the truly honorable and good things I see in our society started from profoundly painful beginnings.

I am a musician, as are my daughters. One of my daughters just turned me on to this video on Youtube. Wow. I've watched it over and over. I love the video, I love the lyrics, I love the music. Please watch the video and listen to the music. It documents some great things that have resulted from very difficult circumstances.

* Nickelback - If Everyone Cared:

I would like anyone who knows of more examples like this--a difficult time someone experienced that motivated them to make a positive change in our world, large or small, to please let me know the story or to add it as a comment to my blog. I'd like to celebrate the good things that come from tough times, celebrate the good that comes from even a cancer diagnosis.

I'll start. I recently met a man who experienced some difficult events in his life (not cancer), and was motivated to start this organization. Check out his "Special Spectators Video Montage" under "Media Coverage". Be sure you have your sound on. I am proud to have recently met Blake, who founded the organization below:

Special Spectators

I have another new cancer survivor friend who started this organization:

Immerman Angels

Anyone else have examples of great things that have arisen out of the ashes of someones difficult journey?