The Return of Spring is a Reminder That the Rough Days of Cancer Will Pass

Each season has its own delightful reasons to claim as a favorite, but spring may be the best.

Summer is a season of sunshine and warmth. My beds of perennials are in full bloom with day lilies, knock-out roses, brown-eyed Susans, cornflowers, hydrangeas and sedums exploding in color. I bring my Ficus tree, Christmas cactuses, jade plants and other house plants outside on the porch to have the sun and rain help them grow. Our new fountain surrounded by more flowers offers a calming sound that I can listen to for hours.

Fall comes when the air gets a bit cooler and then the prep work for next year begins. The beds need to be cleaned and trimmed down. The sedum is full of a vibrant pink and rust color to continue to enjoy. The beautiful leaves start to change to their true colors and then they fall. High school football and soccer games can be heard from our back porch. My windchimes catch the fall breezes.

When winter takes hold, the outside is asleep and resting until the spring. We see the first snowflakes and are reminded of the beauty of each snowflake and their unique shape. As skiers, my husband and I love to see the snow come. Winter is also a time to reflect on the past year and take care of inside the house. Cleaning, sorting, and maybe some painting to change up a room can become a renewed look when it is too cold to be outdoors.

And then there is spring. This may be my favorite as it is a time of great change outside. Warmer days with lots of rain are a welcome sight as the ground wakes up from the long, cold winter. I gaze out the window and look for new buds sprouting from the ground. I am itching to get outside to clean up the leaves and sticks that have accumulated in the yard. Working in my beds is cathartic to my well-being.

What does this have to do with the cancer that I fight every day? Each season offers hope to me. Summer is the time to enjoy the color of each flower. Fall reminds me to clean up my thoughts of living with cancer each day. Winter tells me to rest and take care of myself. And spring offers a sense of newness and awakening. Each season tells me that I need to be involved with the glory of new growth as a person.

Our cancer journeys go through changes like each season. Sometimes we are fighting, just like our spring plants trying to wake up after a long winter.

Spring arrives in a few weeks. While my outside spring cleanup is awaiting me to come and play, I am also remembering to wake up my positive thoughts after a very tricky winter of my new therapy for my cancer. I remain positive that this trial that I am participating in is going to work. So far, the trial has not been as difficult as my other chemotherapies, and I am so grateful for that.

To my fellow survivors, welcome spring as a beginning of a positive new season. Try your best to be an advocate for yourself. You may have rough days, but remember they, too, will pass. Plan new things to get done like cleaning out the beds from winter’s sleep. Plant a new flower to make you smile. Go for walks around the block or sign up for a 5K and walk it with a friend. Ride your bike on a new trail. All these things will help you as you fight this battle with cancer. We do not know when it will be our time to go, so make each day count. Make new memories to hold on to, especially on the tough days. Hope offers amazing possibilities.

Carpe diem.

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