Truth Telling

I guess this week is “blogging reflection week” for me.  Anniversaries, even blogging anniversaries, require reflection don’t they? I hope you’ll bear with me and keep reading.

After my last post where I went on more than a bit about how grateful I am for the whole new world that has opened up to me through blogging, I couldn’t stop thinking about the down side of blogging as well, or perhaps it should more appropriately be called, the reality side.

I couldn’t stop thinking how in some ways it would be so much easier to write a blog about cooking, or gardening, or movies, or photography or just about anything else. It would be kind of nice just to worry about what delicious or healthy recipes to post next, what movie to review, what flower to contemplate planting in the spring or what book to read next week.

It would be kind of nice to not deal with life and death stuff.

But, of course, life and death stuff does exit in the world of cancer, so likewise these topics exist in the cancer blogosphere as well. We cancer bloggers will and do pretty much tackle any issue, the good, the bad and the ugly. And some of it is pretty darn ugly.

People do suffer from debilitating side effects of treatments and surgeries. People do suffer broken and even lost relationships resulting from a cancer diagnosis. People do experience recurrences. People do live with fear and uncertainty. People do suffer from depression. People do get sick, really sick. People do get worse. People do, in fact, die.

In this one short year since I’ve been blogging there have been too many losses. Too many voices have been silenced by cancer in one year. Three voices I miss are Daria’s, The Carcinista’s and Ashley: Warrior Mom’s. 

My point here is not to be a proclaimer of gloom and doom; no, quite the contrary. In spite of all the difficulties, no in spite of all the tragedies, there continues to be more wit, humor, wisdom and yes, laughter found in the breast cancer blogosphere than one might ever expect.

We don’t just share the ugly stuff; we share about anything and everything. And some of it is good, really good!

As a result of all this sharing, I’m reminded not to feel sorry for myself when I look at my reflection in the mirror each morning while trying not to cringe at the face that looks back at me now. I’m reminded I’m not the only one with a weak arm, chronic pain, an unsightly crop of unruly hair, a puffy-looking/feeling face and a forever altered body. Mostly, I’m reminded I’m not alone.

I’m reminded about a lot of things. I’m also inspired.

I’m inspired on a daily basis by countless others who speak the truth about this crazy world of breast cancer. That’s what I’m trying to do too,  speak the truth.

We are not nay sayers or pessimists, though we have been called both (and worse). 

No, we are realists, (at least that’s what I call myself), and every person’s unique cancer reality is validated and accepted. At least this is true in my ever-expanding blogging circle.

Validation, acceptance and the truth inspire me way more than all those pink ribbons and images depicting what proper cancer survivorship is supposed to look like.

So, despite the down-side, despite the difficulties, despite the losses, despite the dying, it’s still a pretty darn amazing arena I find myself in on a daily basis.

Who would have thought?

Who or what inspires you?