Journal entry by Alice Rosenthal —
Dear Sweet Friends --- I am happy to say that this is my very last note to you on Caring Bridge!
It’s impossible for me to say how much your love/prayers/support/words have meant to me these past nine months. I’ll let my multi-colored backyard friend convey my exuberant appreciation.
You see, way back in August, about the time that I got the diagnosis of breast cancer, I was upset about the sudden dying of a beloved backyard rosebush. I knew I wanted to replace her with something beautiful, and something that didn’t require sun all the time.
Lots of online searching. Then I found this in Gurney’s Seeds (Trusted by generations of gardeners since 1866!). How could I resist a rosebush described as:
- Clusters of striped flowers in warm hues
- Slight tea fragrance
- Floribunda with great disease resistance
And her name? Frida Kahlo! I ordered her immediately.
Then weeks of waiting for Frida to arrive. Then weeks of watching her planted, but looking almost dead. That was about the time that I began my chemo sessions. I watered her, spoke to her every day and was upset when she didn’t seem to manifest anything positive. My husband and grandkids said, “Be patient, Mil/GranMillie. She will come.”
And she surely did. At about chemo #3, Frida shot out with gorgeous multi-colored blossoms.
And look at her now! This is me with Frida in our backyard yesterday, her first blooms of this season. I think she wanted to appear especially to thank you in my last Caring Bridge e-note.
Frida’s blooms give me courage to tell you some personal news that I will share with “the public” in a few days. These months of illness and healing let me know – again – how precious our lives are, and how important it is to use our energies wisely. Many of you know that I have wanted to hand off Oasis in the Overwhelm to a younger generation. The mission and strategies of Oasis are still timely – and maybe needed now more than ever.
Now it is time for me to move on, and time for Oasis to get fresh energy to meet the needs of today. I will probably announce this in my next Oasis e-note.
Meantime, if you – or you know of anyone(s) - interested in bringing the simplicity and power of Oasis to the world, please be in touch: millie@milliegrenough.com If you are looking for a side gig, or a way to use your energy in a positive way, or want to cooperate with someone else or a group to bring Oasis to a new audience, consider the opportunity. You never know how it might bloom…
In closing: know that I feel extremely healthy – still some fatigue and neuropathy, but overall fine and so relieved that my oncologist affirms that I am currently cancer free. You can see for yourself that my hair is growing!
Big love and thanks to each of you for being with me on this journey, Millie
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