Star-t

Today, a Leaky Writing Group (see link on right side) classmate pointed out the "star" in the word "start". It made me smile. Yup, I'm feeling like a star nowadays!
Today is my official 8 month anniversary from diagnosis! Wow, look how far I've come, all I've done...what more have I learnt since my last blog entry about learning? Where do I go from here? What's next? What new and exciting things will happen to me next?

1. Spontaneity is fun
2. Kind family members and true friends = LOVE. No matter how annoying they are, they're invaluable.
3. Accept people. We all have bad stuff in us. Ideally, the good stuff overrules.
4. My heart and soul deserve to be happy
5. Let it out - anger, grief, joy, jokes, honest feelings - in any way that makes you happy - exercise, art, journal-writing, dance, therapy, blog, punching pillows, burning an honest letter to someone, massage, yoga, QiGong, play, lake walks, labyrinth...
6. Do what's fun
7. Create fun for everyone
8. Getting to High Park and going for a nature walk is a lot cheaper than driving up north, lol.
9. The glass IS half full.
10. You can exercise anywhere and at any time.
11. There's lots of good stuff going on in your life, even when you don't see it. Open your eyes and ears and you'll find it. Don't listen to your monkey-brain ;)
12. Every morning, reflect on "the good in my life".

The writing class was fun. We visualized first - stars overhead coming down through the top of our head - warmth through our body, down arms, back, legs, roots extending from feet, reaching the centre of the earth. We were asked to remember the first three words that come to mind about this visualization.
After opening our eyes, we wrote these three words on seperate pieces of paper and added them to a pile in the middle of the room. For our first writing, we took two pieces of paper (Green Tree) and for the second writing, the third (Contentment).

Green Tree
strongly rooted
in the earth
the centre of the earth
burning brightly
enriching the roots
heat rising up a solid trunk,
its heart pulsating
bark tough brown,
soft beige, huggable
long branches reach for the stars
leaves dancing
laughing at jokes told by the wind
serenity in the emptiness
alone only, not lonely

Contentment
Peaceful contemplation
Heavy duvet wraps me up in heat
A roaring fire crackles in the dark deep
The heat kisses my cheeks
The sparkling dancing for my eyes
A smile of a sleepy cat
A bald head gets a hat
Everyone having a laugh

A great poem about friendships. I don't know who wrote it:

There comes a point in your life when you realize
who matters
who never did
who won't anymore
who always will.
So, don't worry about people from your past.
There's a reason why they didn't make it to your future.