To Plan or Not to Plan

Well, I am off and driving on my three week adventure! I will be visiting family and friends as well as having time to write and enjoy the wonders of the southern part of the U.S. This trip was high up on my list of things to do during my sabbatical year. I had hoped to do it much earlier but things conspired against me, so I was thrilled to finally be hitting the road.

I am not usually a big planner. My joy of trips is the trip itself, stopping at places that pop up along the route, meeting new people, enjoying the adventures I encounter.  Normally I would put little effort into the planning as long as I knew where I was going. But this time I thought I would do it differently. Since I was going for three weeks and wanting to see people I put time and effort into setting up the route, contacting friends and family and putting together a great trip.

Things came together nicely.  After my sabbatical year not going anywhere close to the way I had planned, at least this trip would be perfect.  I even spent time and money to ensure my Jeep Patriot would be ready to go - new brakes front and back, oil change, a new windshield due to a crack that appeared one day, and even getting a problem the car had had for years fixed. Bags almost packed, car ready...

Until the day before I was supposed to leave!  All of a sudden my car problem came back with a vengeance.  This problem makes the car not shift so all of a sudden it will hardly go. Not a small problem.  I lost my mind for a while when it was clear the problem wasn't going to go away. By the next morning I was so frustrated I couldn't think clearly. There was no way, after all that planning, I was not going on my trip!

I must admit I was not kind to the people around me who tried to help with the problem because I didn't want to budge on the plans I had made. Sorry!  After going round and round, I finally realized I had to decide what was more important - the trip as I had planned, or the money it would cost to rent a car.  I ended up renting a car from Alamo, and the great guy at the counter upgraded me, so I am now traveling in a Volkswagen Atlas which is an SUV and rides like a dream. My trip will go on as planned but with a lot less spending money!

Lesson learned - planning can only take you so far. The rest of the way to my dreams has to come from my ability to be resilient and find my way through the problem to a solution.  To do that I need to be clear on what I want to do and where I am going.

So, to plan or not to plan? A little bit of both, I say!

What A Difference A Year Makes

One year ago this week, after having a routine physical and mammogram I received the dreaded phone call from my doctor announcing that I had breast cancer. I knew it was possible as I had gone in for further tests, but I didn’t believe it would happen to me. No breast cancer in the family and I was getting ready to travel the world on my sabbatical to research what healing means!



But the call came and my life shifted in ways I never would have predicted. Now not only was I trying to get my house ready to sell and saying goodbye to the wonderful congregation at Hope UMC where I had been pastor for nine years, but I had to figure out how to deal with cancer!

Many members of the congregation had had cancer, several breast cancer, and they turned into my lifeline. The helped me to understand the process and gave me invaluable advice as I began the journey.  They continued to be my strength by accompanying me to radiation appointments and helping to lessen my work at church to help with the healing process.

My sister Susan was also my biggest lifeline. She came with me to all of my doctor appointments to be a second set of ears as we learned about the process.  She even took me to my lumpectomy surgery in a snowstorm and stayed with me through it all.

The biggest lesson I learned from having cancer is that you cannot beat it alone. It takes many people helping in all aspects of life to get one through to the other side.  From walking my dog to making me laugh to helping me know how to treat radiation burns the people in my life were and are invaluable. Even now I am still receiving love and support. The greatest group of professionals has to be the nurses in the oncology department and the radiation program. They also made this journey not only bearable but filled with laughter and support.

As I continue forward one year after my diagnosis and treatment it is my turn. I have friends who have recently received a cancer diagnosis and I hope I can be support and love as they begin their own journey. If you want to understand the web of life and how we are all connected just talk to someone who has had cancer. Bravest people you will ever meet!

Thanks to all of my supporters. You made my last year one of victory and the cancer journey bearable. Time to pay it forward.