Hi everybody!!! I post hope today, this poem of Antonio Machado help me every time I have to go to chemo or operations. I hope it will help everybody in this phorum to live the life and walk their paths. I put a YouTube link of the Joan Manuel Serrat music versión of this poem and english traduction.

YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DA3pRht2MA

English traduction:

Just wanted to share that I'm feeling grateful this evening.

I've only been working with Dr. Brizman for a few months but it's been great to have a more hopeful path than "we can only treat the symptoms" and to see some progress.

I want to recommend a wonderful book: "Sleeping with Bread: Holding What Gives You Life" (Linn) -- about gratitude.

Count your blessings and you'll receive more blessings. Dwell in your disasters and you'l get more disasters.

Great an dhgelpful books! I will write more about them when I get some time but if you need encouragement without judgement read "Anatomy of an Illness" and "Headfirst" by Norman COusins.

This arrived in my in box today and I thought how apt it was for us all as we travel on our journey to balance of body, mind and spirit as we all have our ups and downs, good days and bad and are all affected by our environment and the stresses that everyday life can bring our way.  So, I decided to post it here in the hope that it may help you as it has me in the determination to keep going even if I stumble at times and not to be too hard on ourselves if we do:

Dear all,

My daughter has been invited to her friend's Bat Mitzvah. We have no idea what she can wear, and generally what to do (do you bring a present, ?). I have scoured the internet but am still none the wiser as the advice given there seems ridiculous at times. If anyone can advise, I would be really grateful. My daughter is excited but apprehensive as we have no idea at all of the rules of conduct, especially dress for girl guests. 

Just wanted to get the "hemorriod" topic moved down! LOL

Anyway- Each night without fail  I write a few little things that I am grateful for. It has really helped me keep my expectations reasonable and helped me to realize that even on the worst day- there is SOMETHING for sure to be grateful for!!

"Every goal that has ever been reached began with just one step, and the belief that it could be attained. When the road becomes hard to travel and it feels as if you'll never reach the end... look deep inside. You will find the strength you never knew you had." -Jason Blume

A new quote I found recently is now gracing the my notice board at work which greets me each morning as I enter the office and I thought I would share it all with you in the hope that it may inspire you as it does me to keep going in our journey to better health and happiness despite what may seem to us at time to be set backs:

Failure isn’t when you fall, it’s when you stay down.

The glory of success is not
in never falling,

OK - lately I've been through my own personal sel-inflicted hell - which is what I truly believe, that as far as the mental stuff goes, I have it down to a fine art. HOWEVER, I am here to gloat - however fleeting that it may end up being. For the moment, my head has cleared and I've seen the light - for whatever God or spirit that you hold dear. You know that moment of clarity when you just get it? Now, before I have to go out and buy a bigger hat, I'm pretty sure that my Gandhi days are numbered to possibly hours. This same thing happened to me last week - then I took a nose dive.