In honor of my wife’s memory, and to help continue her amazing legacy, I will be republishing over the next few months some of her writings, which not only give an insight into how amazing she was, but really helped inspire so many people around the world.
My plan is to also publish her writings in a book, along with testimonials from those who were somehow inspired or helped by her (whether by her writings or good deeds). If that includes you, please send your experiences to me at israellycool-at-yahoo-dot-com.
Pour Some Honey on Me!
First published Oct 3rd 2012
I had a nickname when I was a young and new immigrant to Israel and a soldier in the IDF, “Jerrycan”. My fellow soldiers in the Givati Marines Brigade lovingly called me, Jerrycan, because no matter what, in the dirt, dust, mud, and “jifa” – I was always smiling.
I do get worried and upset about important issues. There are even some pretty small things that can make me mad for a few moments and I vent, I express, and then I move on. If there’s one thing I’m extremely large and generous with, it’s forgiveness. I’m almost incapable of holding a grudge.
You want to know the secret to happiness? I’ll tell you. It’s about accepting what you have and enjoying every drop you can squeeze out of it and not looking left or right at anything else. Forgiveness is happiness when you forgive yourself and others. LOVE is the ultimate happiness. When you love yourself, your family, your friends, and genuinely love everything that G-d put on His beautiful earth, I promise you, you will be happy. Love means acceptance of every flaw and imperfection in every single moment and place in my life. With acceptance, forgiveness, and love filling my life to the brim, I just don’t have room for all the other noise that is anger, sadness, envy, and regret.
Why am I writing about this now? Just moments ago I had somewhat of an emotional “flip out” over a group status update on Facebook. To sum it up, an Ovarian Cancer Awareness “page” updated their status with something about how ovarian cancer can be treated if it’s detected early and went on to send that directive home with, some 22,000+ women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the USA and some 15,000+ women will die of ovarian cancer in the year 2012 so that’s why every woman needs to be aware of the following bla bla blah symptoms. This came up in my Facebook newsfeed and I flipped out at the injustice and insensitivity of such blunt rude statistics being thrown in my face by a “page” I “liked” for moral support. I was knocked off guard by the (probably true) statistics because I know I have cancer and yet there’s a red line that you just don’t need to cross when you talk to cancer survivors even if you are a “cancer awareness group”on Facebook. I know thousands of women die of this disease every year, probably every minute of the day. I know. I just don’t need anybody to tell me about it. Why do people think that a person WITH CANCER wants to hear that their so-in-so (insert friend, family member, neighbor, acquaintance or dog) died of the very disease that they have???
Nothing about my diagnosis has made me as mad…. as the absolute insensitivity of a “support group” informing me of my grim mortality. Bug off, I don’t allow you into my life. I choose to live. I choose to be a survivor. Don’t approach me with the sorry-head-tilt and the death statistics. I will surprise you with my reaction – pfew! Poof. You are so out of here. Gone. Not in my life.
I got mad. I articulated a strong response and the group removed the offending post and sent me a very sorry apology. I accepted the apology. I let off some steam and I’m over it. I’m just about ready to go out with my family to dance and sing at our local music festival. If you see me, I will be smiling and enjoying. I’m not sick and sad. I am HAPPY and I am HEALTHY and I accept CANCER as part of my journey which was given to me along with MANY beautiful blessings.
I accept CANCER as part of my life journey… and I will continue to be happy and smile and laugh every step of the way and now that I’m a SURVIVOR I also realize that I don’t have room in my life for anything else besides what gives me strength.
noun
- a person who survives, especially a person remaining alive after an event in which others have died: he was the sole survivor of the massacre
- the remainder of a group of people or things: a survivor from last year’s team
- a person who copes well with difficulties in their life: she is a born survivor
Sounds good to me.
