One goal of sharing my family's and Ryan’s cancer journey was to "help one person, one family at a time." I got that wish today in lovely prose and poetry by my writing friend, Julie Hughes. My story helped her with her story, all in a positive manner of manufacturing sunshine, and for Julie, that is in upper state New York.
Julie's post (link below) touched me so deeply because I know that everyone has a story to share, as Julie and her family do now. Everyone has a story, and it matters. It simply does. Please lean into your story to help others, like Julie is about to do with her husband's cancer journey in 2022, along with managing their two young children that were thrown into the unknown.
As Julie states in her post, "Her family’s story gave me hope and courage as my family now faced the dreaded C word once again. I took her words to heart as we confronted what the next year would bring. I was determined not to let my fear, my anxiety, rule over our house."
Community is everything. Community is needed to help fight cancer (and many other things) and even to write about it. Both Julie and I (along with Hubby Bill) discovered that when we joined Writing in Community back in 2020. Since that time, Julie has authored three books! Two are memoirs of her running career (one being the illusive Boston Marathon) and a poetry book. She is killing it with her prose and poetry every single day! Many poems are spewing out of her head when she's on a long morning run - then jots it down quickly once she returns home.
Please give some love (and the poem!) to inspirational Julie by clicking on this link (Substack).
Here is the poem, but it is better when listened to and read by Julie. (I'm still gobsmacked!)
Manufacture Sunshine (for Terri)
My friend Terri
is a light bringer
She reminds me to
look for the nuggets of joy
and to manufacture my
own sunshine.
A wise invitation
as cancer has crept into our home
unwelcomed—
a thief in the night
yet we won't let it
steal our joy
Terri reminds me.
I will keep my head up
I will keep going
I will keep my light bright
for my children
for my husband
even during this terrible time.
I’m given another day
to create
to serve
to manufacture sunshine.
Thank you, Terri
for sharing your story—
The Focused Fight
to help mine.bSoleille!
Terri
photo credit: Julie Hughes
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