Thanksgiving has come and gone. My husband and I celebrated the holiday with his family in Massachusetts this year – and what a grand celebration it was! Ages in our group ranged from 2 to 82(ish?) with the promise of another baby joining our clan on January 3.

Squeals of delight and peals of laughter could be heard from young and not-so-young, and the younger group kept the rest of us on our toes – especially when it became apparent that being naked was essential for anyone under the age of 6! Of course, we were reminded that the food (delicious as it was) took a backseat to spending time with family. We were lucky enough to spend some extra time with a few members of the family before heading to Newport, Rhode Island where the traditions of yesteryear were on display as we toured three mansions decked out for the Christmas season. Lunch with old friends and coffee with new friends before visiting my mother and sister on our drive north completed our Thanksgiving celebration.

And now, as I relax in the comfort of my home in Maine, I continue to bask in this season of gratitude:

After working on a manuscript for seven years, I have published Finding Health After Cancer: Stories of Renewal and Healing. A number of people (23 to be exact) allowed me to share their stories of navigating a cancer diagnosis. Each person faced a life-challenging and life-changing moment in his or her own way. Each of these cancer conquerors was forced to make a variety of decisions as they navigated their path to health. Priorities shifted without warning as they learned their diagnosis. They began asking questions, listening to friends and family members, tuning in to their intuition, and researching options. They transformed their lives following their cancer diagnosis. Treatment varied from person to person: some people followed a conventional treatment plan, while others turned to complementary and alternative treatment.

They had one thing in common: they found a way to steer clear of a downward spiral when they were handed a cancer diagnosis. They looked at their options, decided which treatment suited their particular situation, and forged ahead. They also became advocates for themselves and other cancer patients.

One additional story was included in this book to turn our focus to prevention: what can we do to keep a cancer diagnosis at bay? Again, another strong advocate for healthy living took center stage.

As I write these words, I am reminded of how grateful I am that:

• so many people had trust in me to share their stories;
• I connected with wildly talented professionals to help me share these stories;
• friends came to the table with encouragement, questions, and smiles;
• my husband never wavered in giving me the time and space to complete this book;
• self-publishing is a viable option for putting books into readers’ hands;
• AND SO MUCH MORE.

As the world keeps jumping from hot topic to hot topic, try to find some quite time where you can focus on those elements of your life that bring you joy, gratitude, and calm. Wild and wooly will always make their way into your life; sometimes chilling out brings remarkable clarity.

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