Tag: #thankful

* Only Leave Footprints

One day as I was leaving the beach, I saw a sign that read only leave footprints. The purpose of the message was to remind you to take everything back with you that you brought out to the beach. It should remain clean and beautiful for the next people who come to visit and safe for the wildlife that lives there. Your footprints should be the only reminder that you were there.

As you walk along the beach, you can look back to see your footprints in the sand and know where you’ve been. You can see the footprints of others as you walk knowing that you are not alone in the world. Take comfort in that knowledge and understand others will pass along in your footprints.

What if we made a point to leave things as we find them in this world? To respect the Earth and its’ beauty. Sometimes we have to fix the mess that others left behind but that’s okay, too. It shows we care and that we’re responsible. Go spend time in nature whether it be the beach, mountain or trail. Enjoy the beauty God has given us and then, only leave footprints.

Blessings, Cindy J

* Caregivers

It’s the season of Thanksgiving and a time when we stop to be thankful for the blessings in our life. For those of us who have been through a season of illness, that thankfulness should include our caregivers. If someone asked me to define the word caregiver in just one word, I don’t think I could. What I can tell you is that caregivers are the unsung heroes of the cancer world and they come to our aid in so many different ways.

First and foremost are our family members; especially the ones who live with us and our cancer day in and day out. They’re the ones on the front lines of the battle. They watch the sickness change us into a different person for a while, listen when we vent and hold us when we cry. They become our voice when we are too tired to deal with the outside world. They are our ears at doctor appointments when the words are just too overwhelming to hear. Simply, they take care of us.

Then there are our friends who do what they can to ease the burdens we face. They are the ones who send cards, clean your house, do your laundry, prepare meals and act as your gatekeepers to give out information to others who are concerned. They take care of us, too.

My message for this post is quite simple. To all the caregivers who put their lives on hold to take care of the loved one in your life who is battling cancer, I just want to say thank you.

Happy Thanksgiving! Blessings, Cindy J