Waiting to Exhale

A couple dear to me has been fighting his cancer through 6 months of grueling treatment.  They just received the most wonderful news that he is cancer free!  HURRAH!

As we were electronically discussing the great news, she indicated that she felt like she was finally able to exhale, and hadn't realized that she had been holding her breath for the past six months.

My response was, "I think waiting to exhale is like learning what it’s like to get enough sleep after years of sleep deprivation. Fortunately, when you’re in the midst of the experience, you don’t realize what’s happening. You’re just doing what you know you need to do to advance every day."

I'm so impressed with the way that my friends dealt with this most challenging situation and am motivated by their attitudes, courage and faith.

And, I hope that we'll all realize that each time we're waiting to exhale (or get some much needed sleep) we're doing what we need to do to support the people and causes we hold dear.

Inspiration

Who inspires you? I had the chance to visit today with a dear friend who is beating cancer. I'm the ultimate optimist, so I categorize him as beating cancer, though he still has 1 more chemo treatment and 6 radiation treatments ahead. I can't wait for his doctors to validate his survivor assessment. I saw it in his eyes. His attitude is far better than so many of my colleagues who are dealing with far less serious issues. Though we think that we need to encourage our friends who are suffering, fighting, surviving - it is often those friends who demonstrate a life filled with courage, optimism and thriving. We do need to encourage, support and listen to our friends, regardless of the challenges that they are facing. And, we need to listen for the inspiration we receive from them.