Less than a week before I have my first dose of chemo.  This whole breast cancer dealio has a bit of a torturous cycle.  As soon as I feel recovered and back to normal (I know, I know, I’m not normal to begin with, blah blah!), I have to go back for something else that I have to recover from.  I’m not exactly complaining, just commenting.

We went for a “bear cruise” this time last week, and saw five bears riverside.  I loved witnessing the power of these animals and can understand how they are  apex predators in this environment.  They easily shift into shadows when they enter the woods, they are strong swimmers, and they can traverse fallen logs like they are pick-up sticks.  However, I got home without any pictures of bears on my camera.  Instead, I had a picture of the river bank.  It had suffered through a fire, and there were burnt trees on the shore alongside new evergreen growth.

It struck me as a simple and yet profound metaphor for my cancer, my life.  Something uncontrollable happens which changes some things beyond recognition, but that change creates room for new growth.