Feeling Blessed by helping others

I have been blessed yesterday and today.

Yesterday, I was able to make some peanut butter cookies to take to the chemo bar.  No appointment, I'm great, but I just wanted to surprise those sitting there getting their meds on a hot and muggy Monday.

I think it was well received.

Today, I was walking a neighborhood, doorknocking and handing out flyers. I had no work appointments, so I thought it would be okay to spend an hour trying to drum up some business.  Going from one door to another, a little elderly lady yelled from across the street, "Miss, can you help me?"

She was attached to a portable oxygen machine and was struggling to get her groceries out of her trunk.  Today was cooler than the last few days, but it was still in the mid to upper 80s.  Turns out she has COPD and a few other issues...and every time she talked it sounded like she was out of breath.  

I carried her groceries inside, set everything on the counter and helped her attach to her big oxygen machine in the living room.  As we were talking and chatting, she reached over to give me a big hug and tell me that I really made her day.  She doesn't have any family around here and its pretty lonely.

I feel like she was the reason I had no appointments and decided to go knock on doors in that neighborhood to see if anyone wanted to sell their home.  She was the only reason, even though my sweaty self was able to hand out 15 flyers (market updates in that neighborhood) and have 3 really good conversations in less than 2 hours.  

Drivers License and IDs and how we look with Cancer

I read an article on Yahoo! this morning about a woman who was in chemo, lost all her hair, and could not use her old picture when renewing her drivers license.

You can read the article here:
https://www.yahoo.com/health/woman-who-lost-hair-to-cancer-cant-use-old-215609669.html

I wanted to share a story related to this that affected me, and I also want to share my feelings on this, as I experienced the hair loss and sick "look" for over a year.

Me when I first started getting hair after chemo (2013)

Note to Gramma Honey

Gramma Honey,
Do you remember when I was younger and I got a bunch of Neutrogena samples?  I gave you some of them...I remember you were very excited about moisturizer.  I remember we were listening to my tape of oldies, I think it was the soundtrack from My Girl.  We were living in Munster at the time, and I might have been 14 or so.  You told me all about how moisturizer would be a necessity and my best friend as I got older.  Do you remember?


Well, it is something I need so much all the time right now.  I need you too, Gramma.  I miss you and I know you are up there helping me out and staying by my side.  Oh God, I wish I had you near me.  I wish I could let you know how much you mean to me.  I love you so much and I am so disappointed in myself in how I acted in my 20s.  I didn't visit you enough.  I didn't spend enough time with you, and it hurts me so much now. 


I don't know where that memory came from, I was doing something completely different, and I had the memory of giving you those samples and thinking about how I desperately need moisturizer nowadays.  My skin is so dry, I don't know what from.  My body doesn't want to seem to get back to "normal" and it is taking a mental toll on me.  I just want to be me again, and I don't really have anyone to talk to about it without worrying them.  Somehow, I know you would understand.  You would tell me you were sorry I was going through this, just like mom would (I'm sure).  I just wish I could have a hug from you and some of your cookies, lol.


I always tell Neil to keep close to his Gran, she is so great, she reminds me of Aunt Kay.  She speaks her mind, and she is independent and wonderful.  I love her.  She also makes me miss you and Grandma W, too. 


Thank you for being such a wonderful and loving gramma.  I miss you every day.  Oh, I know why I probably thought about you.  I used my trunk today, and I keep that little pink rabbit I sewed for you back in 6th grade.  I got it back after you went to Heaven.  I put it in my trunk of my car and kept it there ever since.  Maybe tomorrow I will take it out and wash it gently and move it to my bedroom.  It reminds me of you and how much I love you. Always.
Your Granddaughter,
Lisa