I agree that a strong spiritual base not only helps you with survival, but actually enriches the experience of life's challenges. I love your perspective!

Life is full of surprises…and turning points, and learning to accept the bad with the good has always been my challenge. There are no guarantees, as you well know, except one: we are all living terminal lives. This puts it into perspective as we keep on keeping on.

(By the way I am a former Real Estate Broker turned marketer as well)

Thank you for sharing your story with Vikki and me, and our readers. I'm coming to believe, from the responses we've gotten, that the more we share with each other the more positive attitudes emerge all around us. And that's gotta be good!

Speaking personally, I'm glad that you are here to type your note.

Tom

I understand everything that you and Vikki have gone through. My story is quite similar and every day I'm reminded of how lucky I am to be alive and to see my own daughters grow into amazing young women.
In 1997 at the age of 36 after almost deciding not to have a mammo, I found myself suddenly facing surgery to remove an unwanted mass. This was second time this situation had come up, so I expected everything to be fine. This time however, the mass wasn't benign. With the skill of my fabulous oncology surgeon, I had a successful lumpectomy. I too was able to opt for mammo's as Tamoxifen just didn't "feel" right for me. First starting once every three months and then eventually leading to once a year with an occasional blip every now and then when things came up. It was during my last visit at the Carol Ann Read Breast Health Center in January, that I was literally moved to tears as I walked into the beautiful facility. Here was a place of utter beauty for women to come and be cared for and healed. It was peaceful, spa like and beautiful. In that moment I was in complete awe of just how fortunate I am and was certainly joyous that I had taken that step to get checked and such that "my doctor called." If not, I might not have been here to type you this note. Melinda Lewis

Accepting their validity does not mean we have to embrace them. The cry "The enemy is at the gate" was a time for defensive action rather than a lowering of the drawbridge and a raising of the gates.

The process and progress of aging calls for use of all the wisdom and experience we've gathered through our lives. As you say, "…courage and generosity, patience and humor, faith — and always, our growing ability to love."

If we are unable to love, whether it be a person or a glorious sunset, the potential of our lives will have been
wasted

Your story is a further reminder of what is important in life. These messages, as unwelcome as they may be, are meant to make us stop and look at our lives. Thank you for sharing.