[2020-10-28] Gifts, tips and inspiration

I've received lots of gifts, tips and inspiration in recent weeks or stumbled on others through my own research, so today I'm sharing ones that I think would be welcomed by anyone facing cancer and possibly those convalescing from other illnesses.

Fleece beanies
Today, my sister dropped off four new fleece hats to add to my collection of two bamboo beanies to keep my head toasty warm. She made them of the softest fleece, adorned with pink and purple flowers plus yellow rubber duckies—a recurring theme in her gifts to help me cope with cancer. As I've written before, I take two rubber duckies, one slightly bigger than the other, to my chemo treatments to represent my sister and me. Now I'll have an extra warm beanie to add to the theme. Two of the beanies are a single layer of material, perfect for wearing indoors and while sleeping, and one is a double layer of material, perfect for wearing outdoors.

Head scarves
A friend recommended that I learn how to tie head scarves to wear along with, or instead of, the beanies. As she said, wearing a headscarf might be useful when beanies are too hot. Plus, she wrote, scarves can be so bright and colourful, bringing a morale boost on gloomy days. Inspired, I searched on YouTube and found two sites I liked instantly: one from Headscarves.com, using a square scarf and beanie to add volume to the look, and another from My Cancer Journey, using square and rectangular scarves, which I have in abundance. The scarf and beanie combinations are remarkably secure and comfy.

Aguas frescas
In response to my post on Staying hydrated, a friend shared recipes for aguas frescas—basically flavoured waters—which are popular in Mexico. In addition to recommending aguas frescas with added juice (e.g., lime, watermelon), she provided a link to recipes for more traditional flavours, including agua de jamaica (hibiscus leaf water, her kids’ favourite), agua de tamarindo (tamarind water, her husband’s favourite) and horchata de arroz (rice water with a sweet and cinnamon taste, her favourite). She also shared a Jamie Oliver recipe for pomegranate, ginger and lime flavoured water. Since then, I've been drinking an agua fresca of red grapefruit juice and ice water. It takes only 1/4 cup of juice to flavour water in a large water bottle. It provides just the sweetness I need to make plain water so much more palatable.

Plant Nanny
Also in response to Staying hydrated, a friend suggested I try Plant Nanny, an app that helps you track how much water you drink in a day. Every time you finish a glass of water, you log it in the app and give your baby plant an equivalent amount of water. If you haven't given your potted plant any water in a few hours, the app will provide a reminder that your plant is thirsty and encourage you to drink water yourself. Once the plant matures, you plant it in a garden and unlock different plant babies to take care of. "It’s cute," said my friend, "but more importantly, it works! It turned me into a water drinker." I've been using Plant Nanny ever since, but I've also started logging my water intake in Fitbit—something I didn't do when I knew I wasn't drinking a sufficient amount.

Here Comes the River
Following my Chemo treatment #2 update, a friend recommended Patrick Watson's "Here Comes the River" (YouTube, Spotify), a lovely song with beautiful lyrics and soaring music:

Nobody told you it was going to be this hard
Something's been building behind your eyes
You lost what you hold onto
You're losing control
There ain't any words in this world
That's gonna cure this pain
Sometimes it's going to fall down on your shoulders
But you're going to stand through it all

But as beautiful as the piece was, it was my friend's accompanying words—poetry in themselves—that really moved me:

You touched my heart this morning with your words, your song and your light. Full of hope. I know that somewhere, probably, there’s a darker place where you go sit and heal from the inside; where your sunlight becomes your moonlight and the stars of your galaxy. I will send you light today, the kind you need. And… here. My gift to you would be simple as this song. Because I don't know another man who can put the greatness of an ordeal into words with so much resilience, acceptance and positive without leaving the sadness behind. All emotions are important.

All emotions are indeed important.

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
Another friend, inspired by my post Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, shared that she—who has faced her own challenges in life—continues to be guided by Dylan Thomas' Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night. Sometimes the role we think we were supposed to fulfill is not the one we are able to play. As my friend said, we must surrender one identity to take on a new one and, in doing so, find new ways of making a contribution. There is fierce determination in the final lines of Thomas' poem:

Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

This poem reminds me to make every day count.

Quotes
One of my friends sends me a quote and related image as a follow-up to almost every post. Often, the quote sums up the ideas I've tried to convey in my writing. In response to Laughter and inspiration in abundance, she shared this quote from Elizabeth Kübler-Ross:

"The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen."

It is comforting to think that the struggle I face is making me more compassionate, gentle and loving. I see beauty all around me, from the simple to the sublime.