Saturday, November 1, 2008

A year ago (Part 1)

Halloween will never be the same for me now. I was diagnosed with cancer a year ago on October 26. I am in remission now. This one-year milestone is very poignant. At Halloween a year ago I remember smiling and hugging Emma in her pink princess-fairly-ballerina costume thingy; I remember the light-how the gentle warm afternoon sun slowly gave way to the light from carved pumpkins, glow sticks, porch lights, candles, flashlights, and orange Halloween decorations. I remember laughing and talking with friends - it was like a party in motion as the adults slowly walked in groups on the street while the kids squealed and ran from house to house.


And I especially remember hearing the music of a neighborhood musician playing his fiddle on his porch. I remember stopping and listening to the fiddler as if this would be last time I would ever listen to music. I stopped and focused on the man, his fiddle, his porch, and his music. In the background, I could hear the laughter of the kids, the voices of adults. I could feel the warmth of the sun, and see the fall colors of the trees and I wished and prayed that I could have a lifetime of simple pleasures like this night again.


Last night I got to experience Halloween again...everything and everybody came back….the warm sun, the glow sticks, the shadows, the orange decorations, the kids, the party in motion, the “Did you say thank you?” advisories, the great friends, Emma’s pink fairy-ballerina-princess thingy. Even the fiddle man was there for me again. Last night, like I do now when things are especially good, I took a moment to acknowledge the gift of life.








1 comment:

Unknown said...

So who did Emma turn into a cat???