What Really Matters
Thank You
If you haven’t already heard, we have some pretty awesome news: I just completed my treatment for breast cancer! I am so ready to get on with my life, but first I want to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who helped get me through the past 16 months since my diagnosis. […]
Dear Gem – Month 25
The first rule of getting along with other people after you become a parent is don’t brag about your child all the time. Or ever, actually. I break that rule every day. I’m one of those annoying moms – always trotting out the latest cute or amazing thing that my gorgeous little girl did. If I […]
Letting go of the illusion of control
I like to think of myself as having superpowers. My favorite superpower is the ability to make things go away by not believing they are true. I’ve had a lot of practice using this superpower; I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer while I was still breastfeeding my baby.
I have a lot of practice using this superpower, but not much success.
One of the first things that hits you over the head with a cancer diagnosis, after confronting your mortality, is the understanding that you are not in control. Control is an illusion. That is a very difficult concept around which to wrap your brain.
How a scary looking kid helped me get my head screwed on straight
The first night I met him, he glared at me then leaned back a ways before slamming his head down on to the table. That thud of skull connecting with wood was so hard it made the walls shake and the windows rattle. I choked a bit on my heart, and my stomach churned with that nauseous fear that comes when everything is wrong. Very, very wrong. What were we doing with this kid in our home?
New Perspective on Memory
I was in the back seat, pretending to sleep as we pulled into the driveway late after a long day of shopping. At five, and the oldest in a large family, the odds of Daddy carrying me into the house and up the stairs to my room were pretty slim. But that didn’t stop me […]
One Word: Hope
Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you? (Reverb 10 – Day 1 / Prompt Author: Gwen Bell) I didn’t have to think very long or very hard to assign […]
So, about this breast cancer diagnosis…
I’ve been thinking about the direction and purpose of my blog in relation to this breast cancer diagnosis. When I first found out I was pregnant with my daughter, I swore I would not let CoffeeJitters turn into a mommy blog. It took about a month to figure out that idea was a little ridiculous. […]
During the Holiday Season, Remember to Share
It’s so easy to get caught up in the idea that this time of year belongs only to us. [Read More]
My Mother’s Gift
In 1991 my mom brought home Matt; I was not happy. Although I had moved out, I still had a room at the homestead – a room I needed to clear of my belongings so it could go to this new kid. But that’s not the whole reason I was upset. Taking in kids was […]
Proof that there is hope for humanity
002, originally uploaded by coffeejitters. We came out of the bookstore yesterday to find this on the truck. The truck? It’s an ugly beater so the scratch isn’t exactly devastating. © Copyright Judy Haley 2008. All rights reserved.