My Mom — The Soon To Be Four Time Cancer Survivor

I’ve been sitting in front of my computer for the last 30 minutes in deep thought.

Five months ago, nearly to the day, I launched my blog Skeetie B’s, which is centered on the principles of living, loving and learning.

It has been a few months since I posted a blog, because I have been passionately consumed with self-publishing and launching our first children’s book The Toothless Fairy – A New Halloween Tradition.

Yet, for the past 30 minutes, I’ve been struggling with how to incorporate all the wonderful things that have happened in the past five months as a result of the book into a meaningful post themed around my principles mentioned above.

But nothing seems to feel right.

It is funny how the universe works.

While I have been struggling with what to write my mind has been swirling and consumed with an earlier phone call today.

The Cancer Call

My mom called to tell me she had been diagnosed with cancer AGAIN. She was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2004, breast cancer in 2007, lung cancer in 2014 and now again lung cancer. And at this moment, all I can think about is living, loving and learning through the eyes of a soon to be four time cancer survivor.

If you have ever met my mom you will come to know that she is a one of a kind – she always has been and always will be. She is the youngest of nine children, has a laugh that you can hear blocks away, at the age of 75 she still holds down two jobs, works out at the gym, has been sober for 35 years and still slalom water skis.

Mae Goodridge soon to be four time cancer survivor!

She is a loyal friend, neighbor and wants nothing more than to find a way to help and be helpful to others.

My mother is one of the most courageous people I know and the truth is we haven’t always been close. I spent many of my adult years trying to make her wrong for some of the choices in her life and the outcomes in my life. I’ve been hard on her at times and have struggled with trust and forgiveness.

Image Credit StandUptoCancer.org

Time, healing, creating new memories and becoming a parent myself have made us grow much closer and I know that many times she is much more proud of me than I am of myself. How do I know this? She tells me every moment she gets.

My mom is a first class survivor. She has beat cancer three times in the past and she will do it again.

Each time she has received a diagnosis I’ve been amazed at the way in which she approaches the process with serenity as she waits for the treatment plan to be confirmed and the surgery to be scheduled.

Our conversation today was no different. There was sadness in her voice when we spoke, followed by determination and resolve to beat the cancer diagnosis yet again.

Being a witness and care giver to her during her surgeries and recoveries have taught me some important things about living, loving and learning.

FEAR is a natural response to the diagnosis of cancer yet only needs to be a temporary feeling. Fear is the lack of being able to control the present moment. Fear is also lack of knowledge.

ONE day at a time, sometimes one minute at a time, is a fundamental practice while waiting to hear about your diagnosis and your treatment option outcomes.

COURAGE is the ability to move forward when you are scared and frightened and don’t know what the outcome will be.

GRATEFULNESS is the ability to find the silver lining each and everyday and then acknowledging that gratefulness.

LOVING the life that you have and the people in your life is life’s best prescription. You can never tell people enough how much you love them!

Image Credit Standuptocancer.org

Sometime in the next week my mom will read this post, because she follows my work and she is proud of what I do.

What I want her to know (and I will certainly tell her before she reads this) and what I want my audience to know is that I couldn’t be more proud of her for who she is.

She is courageous, loving, giving and inspirational. I know that she loves me and is proud of me. I am who I am today because of many of the qualities she possesses and shares with me.

And once again, I will be by her side as her caregiver as she fights yet another battle with cancer.

Here is a recent article that was inspired by her care team at the University of Minnesota Hospital. They called her their perfect patient – read it and you will see why. http://blogs.mhealth.org/10-26-2015/three-time-survivor-if-cancer-has-any-common-sense-it-would-leave-me-alone.