Empathy

Close your eyes and imagine the scenario.  The doctors come in.  They tell you there's nothing more they can do.  The cancer has spread and is too far advanced for treatment.  Major organs are impacted.  Your lungs.  Your liver.  It's invaded your spine.  How do you feel?  Do you go home and tell your significant other and your kids that you are scared?  Do you shut down?  Do you continue to watch whatever mundane television show has roped you in?  Do you venture on to Facebook as an escape from reality?  Do you tune into the Colbie Caillat station on Pandora because the sad melodies echo your feelings?  Or, do you go into overdrive and try to make the most of what's left of your life?  I have to imagine I'd get angry and think "F%*k this! I should have drank and smoked like a chimney while I had the chance!" But of course anger is only one stage of several when it comes to grief.

The above scenario happens daily, by the second even. I was recently told that a favorite teacher of mine is in a very similar situation.  My heart aches for her family and all those who have enjoyed her spunky self over the years.  A facebook page for updates and well wishes has been created.  We're at over 200 members and it's only been an hour.  Quite amazing to see just how large our little K-12 school's alumni network really is. With that being said, I'll leave you with a thought a friend of mine posted today:

Stay in the moment folks.

Blog Swap: Summer

Today I’m participating in the 20 Something Bloggers Blog Swap. You’ll find me posting over at "Huh Say What?" about my thoughts on Summer and I’m pleased to welcome Brittany of Louisville, KY to  Gidget's Two Cents:

"I'm really excited to participate in the Blog Swap with Christy! I originally started my blog to be able to write about personal stuff, away from the news stories I wrote about in my journalism classes, and surprisingly, I've kept it up for over a year! Read more at itallfallsdwn.wordpress.com and follow me on twitter @britters_43. Happy reading!"

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Summer. It's a special time of the year because of all of the memories that I have from previous summers. I fell in love for the first time during summer. I fell out of love during summer. My dad was diagnosed with cancer during summer. My dad died during summer. I have memories of riding down the streets of Louisville during summer. Top down, music loud, short shorts on (back in my tiny days, lol.) 

I was looking forward to this summer, I needed to have a season of fun and since I lost my dad last summer, I wanted to create some good memories in 2011. 

Instead, I worked. And in the process I learned a lot about myself. I learned that I am very lucky to be in my right frame of mind. See, I work in an emergency psychiatry unit, and I deal with a lot of sad cases on a daily basis. It's not "fun" work, but it's meaningful. With that being said, I also learned that this is not the career for me. I love healthcare, but since I have no plans to move into a more clinical role, there is no growth for me here.

I also spent a lot of time with my mother this summer. She's all I have left and I'm really learning how to enjoy her company as an adult. We attended a concert together, and we try to have dinner together a few times a week. I'm proud of our adult relationship. 

And despite my non-stop work schedule, I had time to have a little summer romance. I don't think it's going to last much longer, but it's been fun while it lasted. I spent the last three years with one guy, and it took me a while to get over my anger about the break up. And this was just the bit of fresh air that I needed :-)

So tell me, did you do anything new this summer? Did you learn anything about yourself? Do tell!