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Discovering
New "Treasures"
By Cathy Finney
"Some people enter our lives and leave almost instantly. Others stay and
forge such an impression on our heart & soul, we are changed forever."
Author Unknown
I think I have mentioned (maybe a zillion times!) that I am
blessed,
because I only meet the "World's Greatest Humans!" Alas, it is so.
The new
people who have entered my life came at exactly the right time. Isn't it
amazing how that happens???
I hit some emotional "speed bumps" a couple of
months ago. I was
spiraling emotionally, and keeping it all locked up inside. Actually, I was
plummeting, and it wasn't pretty. The timing for "discovering" my new
"treasures" could not have been more perfect.
I want to take this opportunity to introduce you to my new
friends, my
new "treasures." Maybe they can help you like they did me. They
helped me,
"get over it, and get on with it. "It" being living, REALLY
living, not just
existing.
My first "find" I met at the annual meeting of my
local MS chapter. Dr.
Leo Frangipane was one of the speakers. His mentor was Bernie Siegel. He, by
the way, is EXACTLY like Bernie. He is the giant-economy size! He helped put
everything into perspective, and did it with so much humor, my sides hurt. As
he so eloquently put it, "Wimp begets wimp. Mastery begets mastery."
It was
time for me to get out of "wimpdom." He really brought the point home
when he
let us all know:
"It isn't the burden of today
that drives me mad. It is the regrets
over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who
rob us of today."
Yes, it was time to exercise the three most important verbs
in the
English language. To be, to do, to go. It was time to take action. I was
reminded of some quotes I had read:
"The lack of fear is not
courage.
It is instead some kind of brain
damage."
I don't know who said this, but it's brilliant!
"The Fates lead him who will;
him who won't, they drag."
Seneca
"The three Powers of the human
consciouness:
the Power to Will, the Power to Think, the Power to
Act."
Annie Besant
"Parabola" Magazine
Yes, it was time to continue my search.
Tony Lombardo was my next "find." He saw me
featured in MS magazine and
gave me a call. He has been living with MS for the past twenty five
years.
Even though he's confined to a wheelchair, he is reaching out to touch anyone
with a disability. He does local TV shows, write articles for newspapers, and
started an organization called, "Just To Talk To." He and I hit it
right off.
We're trying to come up with a way to reach as many people as we can
together. Talking to him, I learn, and grow so much with each conversation.
Thank you, Tony.
I had the opportunity to attend the National MS convention
in Washington,
D.C. I can't even count all the wonderful people that I met. One gentleman
was a college professor from Baltimore. He plays tennis, and participates in
the MS Walk from his wheelchair!
The Family of the Year was the Irons family. John Irons, the
father, has
MS. His family is working to make people more aware. They are working to make
a difference. His youngest son, Nick, established a non-profit organization,
Going the Distance for MS Research, Inc and he has raised $700,000.00. For
his first fund raiser, he swam 1550 miles of the Mississippi River from
Minneapolis to Baton Rouge. His latest endeavor is a bike tour of the
perimeter of the U.S. He started the tour three months ago in Washinton,
D.C. So far he has cycled more than 10,000 miles across 29 states. He's
pedaling six hours a day, six days a week. His ultimate goal is to raise $3
million for MS:
"I think that's one thing that the bike ride and the
swim have been able
to give people --Hope that there are people out there trying to find a
cure."
What was as inspiring as Nick's efforts was hearing about
and seeing the
way this family became so united, so bonded, all working together for a
single purpose. The support, the love, was something to behold.
All of the focus groups were very informative. The one that
everyone was
talking about was, "The Wellness Approach." They entered en mass, the
room
was overflowing with humans! Dr. Nicholas Piediscalzi, another "Bernie
clone," the shorter Italian version, was the star! He was so great. After
listening to this man, you felt like you could fly! He emphasized what we
talk about. There may not be a cure ~ YET. We can however help ourselves
HEAL. He quoted Dr. Herbert Benson, Dr. Dean Ornish, and Bernie. He also
emphasized the connection between spirituality, wellness, and getting "in
touch" with you. The cure is in the hands of the doctors, the experts. I
am
counting on them. When it comes to HEALING, I'm in charge, THAT I like.
"There are essentially two things that will make you
wiser -- the books
you read and the people you meet."
Charles "Tremendous" Jones
"Charlie" knew what he was talking about.
You've met the people, now here are some "treasures
that I found on the
written page
Karen Duffy, is the cute brunette model for Revlon of
"mascare fame." She
sounds like she comes directly out of Brooklyn, because she does. I saw her on
Sixty Minutes. I didn't know she was living in alot of pain with a
serious
illness. I mean, she's always so peppy, pushing that mascara! They found a
lesion in her brain and discovered she was suffering from sarcoidosis of the
central nervous system. Chemotherapy treatments, and high doses of drugs help
her tolerate the tremendous amount of pain that she now lives with. This is
one brave lady. "Feisty," determined, "gutsy," these are
just a few of the
adjectives that describe her "will" and fortitude. She's become a
source of
inspiration, and a role "model" for me which I am struggling to live
up to.
She wrote the story on courage and it's called, "Model Patient -- My Life
As
an Incurable Wise-Ass."
"I'd come to terms with being sick, but that was all. I
accepted that I
was ill and that I had to deal with it and it wasn't going to go away like a
bad cold. I was living with illness, but I wasn't living beyond it."
"Everyday I wake up in the morning is a second chance
for me. . . Life is
made of time, and you can look back on each day as being lost or spent. I've
lost too much time to illness to give up anymore, and now I'm spending my
days to the fullest extent."
"Being sick has given me membership in a society of
wildly inspiring
people."
She talks about other books that helped her along her
journey. Two books
that had had a tremendous impact on me were, "The Gift of Peace," by
Joseph
Cardinal Bernadini. I learned the lesson of bravery, and compassion from this
gentlemen as I read about his struggle with cancer. His discovery of the the
beauty of life, death, of "being," and "fulfilling one's
destiny." The other
little "gem" I discovered through Karen was "The Return of
the Prodigal Son,"
by Henri J. M. Nouwen. His words resonated the "true" meaning of
"compassion," "forgiveness," and
"selflessness." It's one of the most
beautifully written books you will ever read. I am trying very hard to
"live
the lessons" of his wisdom, very hard.
She gives you the lighter side, so to speak, in a book called
"Time On
Fire," by Evan Handler, about his struggle with leukemia. He
"chooses" to
have hope when everything, and everyone warns against it. He
"chooses" to
change. He "chooses" to heal. And, he "chooses" to be
wonderfully funny, sad,
and cynical as he takes you along for this momentous ride! He uses humor
to
cope and survive. He uses laughter so he can continue to "live." He
embraces
"gleeful defiance!" Guts and humor, what a combination!
Norman Cousins introduced us to the "power of laughter
and healing." His
book, "Anatomy of an Illness," has become a classic in the medical
field, and
the "human/coping/adjusting" field as well. He was diagnosed as
"dying," with
"not much time left." He rented Groucho Marx movies, created a
"humor
library," and laughed his way back to health. It of course, was more
complicated than that. But, as long as we can keep our sense of humor, I
figure we have nothing to lose and everything to gain! It IS okay to wake up
laughing!
To make laughter an everyday occurance instead of a
"SPECIAL EVENT,"
everyone should listen to Bill Bryson. His book, "I'm a Stranger Here
Myself,"
will have you rolling! I recommend you listen to him versus the
"written
word." His British accent, and delivery alone are priceless. The man is
literally "certifiable." If he doesn't have you laughing right
out loud -
check your wrist for a pulse! I listen to him driving my car and people have
got to wonder WHAT is so funny. Treat yourself, or ask "Santa" to
give you
the gift of Mr. Bryson. Start your day with "Bill." He'll have you
grinning
like you're "six," and everyone will wonder what you've been up
to!
One other source of inspiration and delight for me was Sara
Ban
Breathnach. Her latest release, "Something More," tells you what we
all need
to hear, to know, and to do.
"The chain of chance can only
lead us to our destiny. It is entirely
up to us to choose to transform chance into luck through courage, risk, leaps
in the dark, and what-the-hell moments." (It's especially the
"what-the-hell
moments" that I like!)
E. Jean Carroll also sums it up very nicely.
"If Joan of Arc could turn the
tide of an entire war before her 18th
birthday, YOU can get going!"
". . .and the day came when the
risk to remain tight in a bud was
more painful than the risk it took to blossom."
Anais Nin
"This is not Oz -
You are not
a Wizard
Get out from behind the Curtain!"
Live!
Laugh!
Bloom!"
"As for me, I know of nothing
else but miracles."
Walt Whitman
Go, search. Get out from behind the curtain.
"Find" YOUR miracles, YOUR
"treasures."
-By Cathy Finney
