OUTSHINE: BEING A BRIGHT SPOT FOR SOMEONE

FRIDAY, JANUARY 4, 2013

OUTSHINE: BEING A BRIGHT SPOT FOR SOMEONE

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     Now that the busy-ness of Christmas, Hannukah, and New Year celebrations are in our memories, I made the following resolution:

                            At least once each day, I will be a bright spot by giving someone a complement.

     Last summer I did a presentation for my book, Outshine: An Ovarian Cancer Memoir, for the Bright Spots group at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. A few days later one of Mayo's administrative assistants, received this email:

              "So right after hearing our guest speaker, Karen Ingalls, I get back to my desk and I have a message to call a patient. The patient has questions about her upcoming chemotherapy appts and also feels like she just isn't progressing with her postop recovery. Ok I have to be honest...I'm thinking in my head while talking to her that everything sounds fine with her and she's going on and on and on and I've got lots more to do...so let's hurry this conversation along! Well, then a little voice came to me and said, "Jdee--slow down--remember the message you just got from Karen that we should listen to our patients. I thought wow--this is timely! Ok, so I took a deep breath and then really began to listen to her. We ended up having a lovely conversation. I got to know that she lived alone and was really having a difficult time adjusting to her cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy. When we came time to say our good-byes she thanked me for taking the time to talk to her. At this point I felt a bit guilty--'cause if only she knew what I was thinking when we first started talking. And then she asked if it would be ok to call me again just to talk if she needed to. Here my heart softened and I realized that I became a bright spot for her without knowing or even maybe wanting to and in return she became a needed bright spot for me."

Being A Bright Spot: Shining Through

     The writer's message taught me a lesson, which is one that many of us would be wise to learn.

 

     I invite you to make a resolution by completing the following: "I resolve to be a bright spot to others by ______________________________________________________________________."     Click on comment below and share your resolution.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2012

I DREAMED A DREAM

     Victor Hugo's magnificent story, Les Miserables, is about love and hate, war and peace, justice and injustice, kindness and ruthlessness, greed and generosity, and the power of love for country, God, and people. It could be a story written about any country or time of history. One of the main characters, Fantine, is an attractive, independent and financially stable young lady whose life ends in extreme poverty and loss of dignity and beauty. Her only purpose in life is to provide for her daughter. She sings the following words:

                                             I dreamed that love would never die
                                          I dreamed that God would be forgiving





       I dream and believe that love will never die. I see the world and people in it like the ocean's waves. Sometimes they are swirling around in an eddy; or rising high and strong; while other waves gently move; and others splash against jutted rocks, or smoothly washing ashore.

     But no matter the weather or tides, the waters of the oceans keep rolling and moving. The weather symbolizes life's events and challenges; the moon which governs the tides is like God, who is always there for us. And God is Love.

     The underlying theme of my book Outshine: An Ovarian Cancer Memoir, is that there is no storm we cannot weather through; there is no obstacle we cannot climb over or go around; and if we let God lead us love will never die and God will be forgiving.

     I dream of a world without cancer; a world of peace and love; and a world where humans forgive each other just as God forgives us.

     Order Outshine: An Ovarian Cancer Memoir at www.BeaversPondBooks.com and receive 20% off when you use the coupon code "Karen" during checkout. Proceeds go to ovarian cancer research.

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