By Sr. Janis Yaekel, ASC
I am Sister Janis Yaekel, ASC and I have pancreatic cancer. In fact, I have lived with cancer since 2012. I hope to share in my blog my journey and my reflections on the presence of God in my life. It is my hope that those who read my entries will find strength for their own journeys.
It has been a pretty good week so far, if not a great week. Some of the side effects of chemotherapy seem to linger into the second week now, mostly digestive issues but no nausea at least.
The dose of chemo that I take is not that great, but it sure can cause havoc in the body. And why wouldn’t it since it is poison really? I always find it interesting that when the nurses start the chemo, they come garbed in an extra gown and rubber gloves so that they don’t touch the chemo and then they proceed to put it directly into my body. Yikes!
I enjoyed my 64th birthday this past Sunday and I recalled the Beatles song with its lyrics: “Will you still need me, will you still feed me when I’m 64?” Well, some friends took me out for supper that night, so, they are still feeding me, and I get the feeling that there are people who still need me to be around.
Peaches are in season. For some reason, this year is like the very first time that I ever tasted a peach. This year, I crave peaches and the taste seems to explode in my mouth. It isn’t that the peaches are extra special this year. It’s more like I am more present to the sweetness of this summertime fruit. I wonder why that is?
The strawberries were kind of like that this year too. I have always loved strawberries, but this year I tasted them as if for the first time. And, by the way, both the peaches and strawberries are wonderful when served with ice cream!
Perhaps like the hummingbird and kitten experience of last week, the peaches and strawberries are indications that I am living more in the present moment. I hope so, for it is in that moment that God wants to let me know that He is with me and that all things sing praise through their very being.
I’ve got my radar up now for those moments and experiences that are normal but seem extraordinary and I am aware that it is the earth that provides the most dynamic encounters with God.
[social_button button=”twitter” tcount =”horizontal”][social_button button=”facebook” fsend=”on” flayout=”standard” fwidth=”450″ faction=”like” fcolorsheme=”light”]