14-Day Blogging Challenge: Day 11

“If I Were to Write a Book”

If I were to write a book on anything at all and be guaranteed that it would be published and be successful, it would be my first book of poetry, prose, musings, and include some of my photography.  My narratives would be a way of reaching out and touching others through sharing from some of my very own and sometimes difficult experiences.

There are times , one in particular, while very young, which felt so out of control,  for example, as a child when one of my siblings (and they are twins)  became affected by meningitis. It was my first of experiences in love, loss, and survival.

Then, as an adult sibling when one parent passed suddenly from a heart attack, and almost 30 years later the other passed through a battle with cancer.  Again, experiencing my own grief, through love, loss, and survival, while at the same time, trying to help other family members through the grieving process.

In 2003, after seven (7) years of mysterious symptoms, I received a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis.  Since then and through attending a narrative writing program for patients and caregivers who have been touched by cancer, I’ve realized the survivor that I’d become.

However, it wasn’t until 2014, and a new diagnosis of a gynecologic cancer, endometrial (uterine) cancer, that I decided I was going to look for new ways of thriving in addition to surviving.

Not only was I going to move from a place, of “picking myself up, dusting myself off, and starting all over again”, which always seemed to work for me during challenging times, I was entering a mindful space to “THRIVE”.

Since early childhood growing into becoming an adult sibling (and primary caregiver to my sister), being a carepartner with my husband of 37 years, becoming a survivor myself of multiple sclerosis and cancer, I’ve faced my challenges on the journey we call living.  Some painful medical conditions require high maintenance plus the changes of finance which so often follow, so through my writing, and sharing, I like the idea of fostering a sense of encouragement, inspiration, and positivity with THRIVING in mind.

I like to think of writing and my publishing a book as a way to reach others so that we may make greater sense of ourselves and our conditions,  accepting who we are, where we are now in this moment of our lives, and initiating change, within ourselves, culture, and society.

“So, if you were to write a book on anything at all and be guaranteed that it would be published and be successful, what would it be?”