“One’s dignity may be assaulted, vandalized and cruelly mocked, but cannot be taken away unless it is surrendered.”
- Michael J. Fox
This Monday morning finds me home from California and ready for a week of playing catch up. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind and I find myself not only playing catch up today but also trying to catch my breath from all that has transpired. Trying to make sense of it all and move forward.
One thing that has become so apparent for me is our abilities to make our own decisions. Before leaving California I gave my step dad, who is dealing with Parkinson’s, a copy of Michael J. Fox’s new book, Always Looking Up. It was a strong reminder of courage that is needed in moving forward when physical limitations are placed before us.
As we went through the entourage of doctors for my mom these past few weeks it became very clear that while they are good at trying to find cures – they are also human. One factor that we dealt with is how they are trained to cure through medicine. What became more than apparent as we looked at my mom’s diagnosis and the resolve for it, is that sometimes drugs prescribed by doctors cannot always cure us.
In fact, the cure can be part of a whole new set of problems as my Mom sadly discovered, getting Leukemia from chemotherapy while trying to cure Ovarian Cancer. We need to be aware of what is going on and count on our own discovery processes to find the “cure” that will work best for our own individual needs. We need to find the possibilities and solutions to those things that get in our way, be it physical or mental.
While crazy stuff goes on in our world from obscure earthquakes to car accidents – we do need to remember those things we do have control over. It’s like hiring a consultant for your business yet remembering the important fundamentals for why you started the business in the first place. We can take advice, but then we need to take the power and control we have built within us to make our own decisions.
Yesterday during a family debate about a matter at hand my husband, Ed said, “Yes! Ok, No! What?” all in one breathe, thinking out loud. It got us to giggling and repeating the phrase throughout the rest of the day. But in thinking about it this morning the words he said really do run the spectrum of accepting information and then fully examining what that information means to you – and ultimately what you are going to do with it. It is the beauty and the power that comes with our own innate intelligence.
In the week ahead, I hope that you joyfully find your way – get the answers you need and the resources that will help you along your journey.
