Happy New Year, Mom

Before I make any resolutions on this New Year's Eve, I think it would be a good time to take stock in my accomplishments in 2009.  I started my year involved in Native American studies, particularly the healing aspects.  A large group of women dwindled down to a smaller group of women.  I was and still am unsure why so many women dropped out of this training, but I was glad that I stayed with the program.  I walked away knowing more about myself, my inner strength, and depth of outer intentions.  I hope that makes sense to you.  I think it prepared me to finish what I started a few years earlier with my writing.  

Writing, Writing, Writing...

Yes, my friends, I write every day now. I am down to the wire and have two weeks to finish

my book. Actually, my class ends in two weeks, but I will continue writing when the class ends.

As of this moment, I've written thirteen chapters. There are twelve more to go. I write every day,

I already said that, right? Please excuse the redundancy, but I am going to write this blog without

too many edits. Let's see how far I get.

Healing Together With Songs

This past Sunday the Hospice of the North Shore sponsored their "Mass of Remembrance." The Mass is held every six months for grieving families who received medical services from Hospice of the North Shore. Volunteers and medical personnel from Hospice and representatives from several religions took turns at the podium reading poetry, prose, and prayers of healing to the families in attendance. Each Hospice worker lit a candle following their reading regarding the loss of a parent, child, sibling, friend, or spouse. In all, six candles were lit. Throughout the service, the Ecumenical Choir filled the chapel 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Tuesday Morning, Melissa Ethridge appeared on Good Morning America. Robin Roberts introduced her this day to remind us of Breast Cancer Awareness month. Both Ms. Roberts and Ms. Ethridge are survivors. Both of these women use their public careers to promote women's health in a positive and proactive way. They joined together on this morning, a few days before October crisply crept in, to herald in this very important month.

Cancer: Informing Your Family, the Fear and the Courage

As I was writing in my book tonight, I realized that most of what I was writing was really "blog" material. So, here I am writing a brief introduction to what will be my blog. The chapter I am working on is when my mother informed her brother about her cancer. It was a process. You see, for two weeks my mother would not tell her brothers and sisters. Even when she was hospitalized, she wouldn't let us tell them. She was overcome with fear, a fear she never spoke of, but was ever present when you tried to broach the subject. My 

Living With Cancer: The Right to Self Determination

Yesterday, I watched the funeral of Senator Ted Kennedy. The words used to describe him seemed honest, sincere and from the heart. The most poignant, were his own, written to Pope Benedict, describing his humanness. The senator's family did not use this time to politicize his issues. Rather, his friends, family and colleagues simply acknowledged his hopes and dreams, his strong faith, deep roots in community, and love and devotion to family and the working man. This seemed to me to be the foundation for his life long goal of accessible and equal health care for all.

The Pact: A Daughter's Memoir of Her Mother's Life With Cancer

Four years following the death of my mother from lung cancer, I find myself compelled to tell my story, her story, our story. For three and half months my mother lived with lung cancer. She most likely had the disease longer. Bouts of bronchitis and pneumonia over the years, were clues that something lingered. But, this story is not about regret. Rather, it is about courage, dignity, and a mother who, until her final