It is last day of November. The year is mercilessly approaching its finale. Autumn (sounds better to me than fall) is here and I notice it everywhere in splotches of yellow and red. I can even shuffle the rustling leaves occasionally where they’d fallen on the sidewalk in abundance. We went to Oak Glen and saw the making of apple butter and fall in its glory. I am counting down – ten days left until my second surgery and I really really hope to close this chapter of my life after that. This year. Not taking anything into the next. Only good times ahead.
I spoke to my classmate today for a good hour. I always find it amazing how there are people you can lose for 30 years and then find and talk for every as if the last 30 years have never happened. And then there are others with whom there is really not much to talk about. Add political polarity to that and I find no reason for school reunions.
I keep adjusting my supplements. They are all I have in my arsenal today. Traditional medicine is not really doing much at all anymore. Herbs are still with me and I pray for their healing power every day of my life. I wonder how many quarts of turkey tail/astragalus tea have I drunk in the past year. I have 2 handful of days that I missed. I also realized that I should not be taking my supplements on an empty stomach – they make me sick. (Very sick). My next dream goal would be to take less than 10 capsules in one go. Just another six months and I will be cutting down. Feels far far away. So did the end of chemotherapy and yet it came. I doubt I will ever be carefree not to take anything but…
And finally, at the end of Thanksgiving weekend I am grateful to be here, I am grateful for being alive, grateful for having friends and family who care, grateful for the majestic fall colors, grateful for being able to find joy in small things and big things alike.