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have waited today to write this message, although it has been floating through my mind all week. I wanted to have the perfect words to tell you of my gratitude for all of you in my life, but I realized that as I send this with LOVE, the perfect words are born and fly on angel’s wings.
I have so much to be grateful for this year. What a year it has been. More challenges presented themselves to me this year than ever before. My Mom dying started it off, and then was followed by a breast cancer diagnosis and other challenges in my personal life. During my journey, so many of you stepped up to offer assistance and love and healing. I cannot sit here without tears in my eyes for the wave of love that engulfed me and still is. I AM grateful you are all in my life! My soul family has embraced me back to health. I am still healing and making needed changes in how I live my life but I AM HEALTHY! I have energy back and some of my old playfulness.
I AM thankful for my CANCER! It has helped me to open my heart in new ways. I now find compassion as a bigger part of who I am and will try to not judge anyone if I am not walking in their shoes. Cancer changes you, whether you have it or become a caretaker of someone with it. I don’t believe that you ever go back to the old version of you. I find LOVE such a big part of who I am and it was always with LOVE that I walked in this world but cancer has deepened that so much more. My heart sings and shines always in all that I do. When I step into the world I smile and shine with love. I am interested in your journey and where you are at this minute with no judgement, just love and compassion. If I can help you in any way, I am ready.
Cancer has also helped me to shift how I work in this world. I am not superwoman although I would like to think I could do it all! I have learned to listen to my body and when it is out of balance or not right, I hear and do what is needed to get myself back to center. For years, I worked two or three jobs and worked my life away. Now it is important to sleep when tired, to not work too much and to give my body needed recuperation time. It is also important to find the health practitioners who can help. Healing takes a village, and so many people have stepped in to help me in many ways. My doctor team was wonderful and did an excellent job but it takes complementary help from other practitioners as well. Reiki was sent my way from so many people and I know it made a huge difference in my recovery and healing. One thing I am grateful for during this time is learning the lesson of self-worth. Learning self-love and self-worth is a lesson that I have struggled with over my lifetime. Have I learned it all? Only the Divine Source knows that answer and I will walk through more if I need to….
The other thing Cancer taught me is that every life matters, that every cancer patient wants to be heard. They want to tell their story and want people to know why they matter. I met so many cancer patients along the way and each of us have different or the same diagnosis but it is all handled with what is right for the individual. No one is the same. Our stories are all different and precious. Cancer taught me to work on holding sacred space for others. Allowing them to talk, vent, or cry and just to hear the words with love and then to hold the space for healing in whatever way is appropriate for them.
Cancer has helped me to know that I want to help others more than ever. To walk holding sacred space for their journeys. Cancer patients and their loved ones really hold a special place in my heart and I am in the process of creating a “Cancer Kit” for people receiving a diagnosis or caring for a loved one. The doctors were in charge of my physical body, but I was in charge of my spiritual one and I believe that the work I did was as important as the doctors. The “Cancer Kit” will offer journal prompts for dealing with the emotions and challenges along the way along with prayers to help. Meditations to help get in touch with your body and healing will also be a part of the kit. And then alternate resources, such as Reiki, along with acupuncture, and different body work and how it could help. Nutrition will also be discussed since I believe that our foods contain healing and we are what we eat. I am hoping to have this ready early next year.
So for this year, the challenges I have gone through have made for great transformation and changes in my life and I AM grateful for it all! I believe that many others have had some of these traumatic times as well. My hope is that you can rise above the challenges to find the lessons and experiences that have helped you to be a better person and that as this year ends you find peace.
I come to you today as a humble servant of Divine Source LOVE and as I have surrendered to this love in my heart, my wish is that you all find the love, peace, joy of your family and friends today and always.
Blessings!
Rev. Mary Perry