So glad you are on the mend, Tara. 🩷 And that you got good news about the results. And such beautiful comfort to be embraced by the ones we love when we are scared. Hooray for your lovely family. Your poem is beautiful. (The last few lines are so touching my eyes misted.) The parallels between being held by the ancestors in your poem and you being held by your family are so powerful. Held through time, by the living and the dead. (And thanks for the PSA. It's a good reminder.)
One of the things I read when I had cancer (so long ago) is that it’s like this: in life, you get up every morning and don’t expect to be hit by a car. But then one day you are hit by a car and you get up forever after worried you’ll be hit again. It’s true - to an extent. It changes you. But I would add that today I don’t normally have those worries; I fact, I enjoy so much of life. I’m so glad you’ve come through this, Tara. I wish you many, many days, months and years of happiness ahead.
Thomas, wow, thank you for the perspective and the really encouraging words. I so appreciate you taking the time to offer this optimism, and your well wishes mean so much. It's funny, I was saying to my husband at some point in all of this that we all know, on some level, that we could get hit by a bus any day. But it's different somehow when you feel like you may have just met your bus. But as easy as it is to feel knocked down by something like this, I also feel awed by the resilient spirit of so many, yourself included. It leaves me feeling hopeful.
Oh, thank you so much. Really. I so appreciate your presence here. I spent the last few weeks curling inward, which, while necessary, is not natural for me. I’m just not a keeper of secrets. Sharing this has helped me feel like I’m getting back to normal. Can’t tell you how much I appreciate the feeling of community here and your support particularly. 🤗
Wow, I hope you are doing well and are finding strength in having written about your recent difficulties. The poem and its story is also quite powerful. Sending you positive thoughts.
Oh wow, Tara, I haven't kept up with recent posts but this one is alot! So grateful to hear that you are cancer-free and that Rich has been taking good care of you. The poem is powerful, beautiful - so glad that Rowan made it through that and that you had a sense of something greater at work that day. Look forward to seeing you sometime soon!
Thanks, Kelly. I've been meaning to reach out to you and reschedule our coffee. This all came out of nowhere and was such a shock. I'm grateful to be coming out the other side.
Also--thank you for thanking me. It is such a pleasure to read your work and be part of this community. I've been thinking about your essay and poem a lot today.
Thank you for sharing this with us, and the poem as well. My youngest was hit by a car just before turning 5 and I’ll never, ever forget what if felt like to process the shock and aftermath of bewilderment that he was… okay.
Oh, I'm so sorry you had to go through that with your son. It is terrifying in moment and haunting afterward. I'm so glad to hear he was okay. Thank you for your very kind words and support. 💕
Thank you for this PSA - I have a voicemail from my dermatologist that I need to follow up with and this was that reminder to do so. Thank you. And WOW, I love Noha's reminder as well. What an important message all around.
Your words brought up a lot of emotion for me today, which I need to sit through and understand where they are coming from (*trauma*), but also my goodness what a beautiful power words have, and that YOUR words have! Thank you, again, for your words.
Thank you for being here and reading and reacting. I'm sorry this piece stirred up tough stuff for you. Believe me, I understand. Take good care of yourself. 🤗💕
Tara, first of all, thank you for the PSA. I have a friend who developed skin cancer at a young age. It spread through her body over the course of two years, finally taking the life of one off the most positive and joyful people I have ever met. I’m so glad you paid attention and caught it. Thank God for that. Or maybe it was the ancestors.
I believe the ancestors are with us. I feel my Dad’s quiet presence, and the strength of my grandparents. My mother is with me, in the nested Pyrex bowls I keep on my counter. Your ancestors are with you, and you were open to hearing them. In return, you gave them - and your own descendants, this beautiful poem.
I’m also deeply grateful for your call-out. My post has touched many people here, and that moves me deeply. That’s the reason I write.
Thanks, Mary. I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. Can't tell you how much I appreciate your friendship, and being part of this community here with you. 💕
Thank you Tara, for sharing your story. And, again, so glad you caught it in time. I feel the same way about our friendship. I’m grateful to know you.🙏💕
Writing about scary things. I spent a decade or more exorcising demons in this way. Carried me through to today. Now writing is less fraught, more thought. The life-long process serves us well.
That still small voice with a mom warning sounds like God's tender Holy Spirit to me. What a happy outcome to the story of your son and his walk on a snowy day!
So glad you are on the mend, Tara. 🩷 And that you got good news about the results. And such beautiful comfort to be embraced by the ones we love when we are scared. Hooray for your lovely family. Your poem is beautiful. (The last few lines are so touching my eyes misted.) The parallels between being held by the ancestors in your poem and you being held by your family are so powerful. Held through time, by the living and the dead. (And thanks for the PSA. It's a good reminder.)
Thanks for the good wishes and the kind words. It's so nice to know you here. 🤗
One of the things I read when I had cancer (so long ago) is that it’s like this: in life, you get up every morning and don’t expect to be hit by a car. But then one day you are hit by a car and you get up forever after worried you’ll be hit again. It’s true - to an extent. It changes you. But I would add that today I don’t normally have those worries; I fact, I enjoy so much of life. I’m so glad you’ve come through this, Tara. I wish you many, many days, months and years of happiness ahead.
Thomas, wow, thank you for the perspective and the really encouraging words. I so appreciate you taking the time to offer this optimism, and your well wishes mean so much. It's funny, I was saying to my husband at some point in all of this that we all know, on some level, that we could get hit by a bus any day. But it's different somehow when you feel like you may have just met your bus. But as easy as it is to feel knocked down by something like this, I also feel awed by the resilient spirit of so many, yourself included. It leaves me feeling hopeful.
I'm so glad you're okay, Tara. And such a beautiful poem.
"we made jokes,
the way you do when, having narrowly escaped
tragedy, the air tastes sweet"
Thanks so much, Adam.
What beautiful words Tara, it certainly sounds like you have been through a lot over recent weeks, I am glad you are ok, thanks for the PSA!
Deep bows of respect and so much love to you and your family, Tara. Your courage in "writing through" is a gift. 💛🌿
Oh, thank you so much. Really. I so appreciate your presence here. I spent the last few weeks curling inward, which, while necessary, is not natural for me. I’m just not a keeper of secrets. Sharing this has helped me feel like I’m getting back to normal. Can’t tell you how much I appreciate the feeling of community here and your support particularly. 🤗
🫂
Wow, I hope you are doing well and are finding strength in having written about your recent difficulties. The poem and its story is also quite powerful. Sending you positive thoughts.
Thanks, David. I so appreciate you taking the time to read and comment. Really appreciate the thoughtful good wishes.
Oh wow, Tara, I haven't kept up with recent posts but this one is alot! So grateful to hear that you are cancer-free and that Rich has been taking good care of you. The poem is powerful, beautiful - so glad that Rowan made it through that and that you had a sense of something greater at work that day. Look forward to seeing you sometime soon!
Thanks, Kelly. I've been meaning to reach out to you and reschedule our coffee. This all came out of nowhere and was such a shock. I'm grateful to be coming out the other side.
I am glad you are well, Tara and thank you for sharing this with all of us.
Thank you for being here. I’ve so enjoyed reading your poetry this month! 🤗
Thank you, Tara, and I am looking forward to more of your poems :)
Also--thank you for thanking me. It is such a pleasure to read your work and be part of this community. I've been thinking about your essay and poem a lot today.
Glad you are doing ok! Can feel the love throughout this poem…💫
Thanks, Brian. I really appreciate you being here.
Tara, I adore the intro and the poem. So much of what you said touched my heart, and you said it all so tenderly, so beautifully.
I'm so glad you and your son are well. And I'm glad you wrote your way out of it, by writing your way through it.
Thank you so much for being here and engaging. It really means a lot. 🤗💙
“There’s no poetry in this yet for me.“
And yet, your prose reads like it.
Thank you for sharing this with us, and the poem as well. My youngest was hit by a car just before turning 5 and I’ll never, ever forget what if felt like to process the shock and aftermath of bewilderment that he was… okay.
Oh, I'm so sorry you had to go through that with your son. It is terrifying in moment and haunting afterward. I'm so glad to hear he was okay. Thank you for your very kind words and support. 💕
Thank you for this PSA - I have a voicemail from my dermatologist that I need to follow up with and this was that reminder to do so. Thank you. And WOW, I love Noha's reminder as well. What an important message all around.
Your words brought up a lot of emotion for me today, which I need to sit through and understand where they are coming from (*trauma*), but also my goodness what a beautiful power words have, and that YOUR words have! Thank you, again, for your words.
Thank you for being here and reading and reacting. I'm sorry this piece stirred up tough stuff for you. Believe me, I understand. Take good care of yourself. 🤗💕
Tara, first of all, thank you for the PSA. I have a friend who developed skin cancer at a young age. It spread through her body over the course of two years, finally taking the life of one off the most positive and joyful people I have ever met. I’m so glad you paid attention and caught it. Thank God for that. Or maybe it was the ancestors.
I believe the ancestors are with us. I feel my Dad’s quiet presence, and the strength of my grandparents. My mother is with me, in the nested Pyrex bowls I keep on my counter. Your ancestors are with you, and you were open to hearing them. In return, you gave them - and your own descendants, this beautiful poem.
I’m also deeply grateful for your call-out. My post has touched many people here, and that moves me deeply. That’s the reason I write.
Much love, my friend.❤️
Thanks, Mary. I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. Can't tell you how much I appreciate your friendship, and being part of this community here with you. 💕
Thank you Tara, for sharing your story. And, again, so glad you caught it in time. I feel the same way about our friendship. I’m grateful to know you.🙏💕
Writing about scary things. I spent a decade or more exorcising demons in this way. Carried me through to today. Now writing is less fraught, more thought. The life-long process serves us well.
That still small voice with a mom warning sounds like God's tender Holy Spirit to me. What a happy outcome to the story of your son and his walk on a snowy day!
Thanks so much for reading, Jody.