Since I began this blog many months ago, quite a few of you have asked me where I find the words, things to write about, things to think about. I've responded that ideas and topics just come to me, sometimes at odd times, sometimes when I'm casting about for something to write. For these last few days, I've been looking for the words, and since they still haven't come, I thought I'd share that with all of you. And of course only someone who loves words would choose words to express how she doesn't have any right now!
I can feel that I'm in transition, and that the form of that, and the words I use to describe it, haven't come into full focus yet. My body has changed, with the stents to keep everything flowing, and my awareness that the chemo seemed to have no effect at slowing or shrinking the tumor. My expectations about each day have changed, as the spring semester is over, my grades have been turned in, and I would next be expected to return to campus in late August. My relationship with my body has changed, and I'm not sure what I can expect it to do, as it recovers from all of the procedures of the past two weeks, and I assess what I can expect in terms of available energy. My spirit is struggling to come out from under the debilitating effects of the chemo, that seemed to leave me not myself. I am reading some spiritual books and materials again, and waiting for insight about this phase in my life. My mind may have changed the least, except that I do not feel troubled much by "monkey mind," reminding me of tasks undone, and things to plan for. And I still enjoy reading a good novel, and have been moving quickly through quite a few lately.
I am thinking about living and dying, about mortality and how dying is a part of life, even though we don't like to talk about it much. And how do we make the most of each day of living, whatever the length of time left? We have been talking with hospice in our home, and they have shared important, useful information and asked questions, some of them hard.
What's next? What will I have the energy for? There are many questions without answers, although I guess there were more words in the questions than I thought when I began to write this post. I invite you to join me in the exploration of the issues raised by this new phase of my life, as I continue to search for the words to express some of my internal process.
