You know that I am ALL about the journey….everything I write in my life is about the journeys I undertake, whether from un-awareness to awareness, a place on a map to another, or the immense journey one undergoes to reclaim themselves for healing.
I was particularly moved when I read my friend and colleague, Anne Marie Bennett’s book, “Bright Side of the Road-A Spiritual Journey through Breast Cancer”. While I don’t have personal experience with breast cancer (and hope I never do), I was eager to read her account of going open-eyed into the abyss of taking responsibility for one’s own healing and learning the lessons along the way. I was not disappointed.
I know Anne Marie through our mutual love of the written word and through our love of art and the amazing pathway to our deepest selves it provides access to. She is an artist and Soul Collage facilitator, and an utter delight to know. But underneath her smiling, kind exterior, there is a warrior woman who fully claims herself as precious. This decision to love herself completely is what she faced when she was diagnosed in 2001 with breast cancer.
It is not an exaggeration to say that when we face a truth about ourselves it is a kind of initiation. The journey one undergoes when facing a truth is what makes us victors in our initiation. We all have opportunities in our lives when we are asked to step out of our comfort zones and confront something challenging. It is our lives asking us to be more. If we rise to the challenge, and do what is asked of us as we let go of our old selves and become more, the passage to our larger selves is nothing short of transformation.
I’m so grateful that Anne Marie wrote this book, and that she was willing to share the truth of her journey with the world. I asked her to share with me about her experience:
LB: How would you describe the journey you have undertaken through your experience? For example, do you see a continuum of progress in your inner awarenesses and growth, or lots of backsliding, or a combination…it is hard to articulate an intense inner journey, but it helps others who are undertaking that journey themselves.
AMB: Thanks for an excellent question, Licia! For me, the journey is like a spiral, or even a labyrinth… moving always towards the center, but sometimes feeling turned around or even like I’m headed in the wrong direction. But always, always, I am moving towards the center. There are times when I feel like I am going backwards, but that is merely preparation for moving forward!
LB: How are you different than you were when you started?
AMB: Before my breast cancer journey, I was numb in many ways. The whole experience taught me to feel my feelings, to express them in some way, as well as the power of affirmations to change the negative thoughts in my mind. I feel like I am clearer now about who I am, and definitely more grateful. Gratitude has become the cornerstone of my life now. That is a huge difference.
LB: What have you learned?
AMB: The best thing that my breast cancer taught me is that I’m not alone. Seems like an obvious fact, but let me explain. When I received my diagnosis, I had a loving husband who was there for me every step of the way. I had my brothers and their wives, my nieces and nephews. I had friends and coworkers who meant the world to me. But all my life, my tendency has been towards isolation. Somewhere in childhood, I learned (most likely from my mother, a stubborn Yankee!) that I was strong if I could do things myself. On my own. Not needing help from anyone else.
So my breast cancer was a huge wake-up call for me in that regard! Suddenly, I COULDN’T do everything myself. I learned that just because I needed help making dinner and taking a shower and remembering who I was, that I was still a strong woman anyway. I learned to be open to what others were longing to give me: love, friendship, support, encouragement.
But most importantly, I learned that I wasn’t spiritually alone. I had been isolating myself from Spirit for several years when my breast cancer came along. This is the very best lesson I learned: that the Divine (which I choose to call Spirit) is with me always, as are many spiritual helpers.
LB: Are you grateful for the diagnosis and what it has brought you?
AMB: Before my diagnosis, I had heard some cancer survivors on TV talk shows saying that they were grateful they’d had cancer. Seriously? I thought they were misguided and crazy. But now it looks like I am one of those people! I am indeed grateful for my cancer diagnosis. I never thought I would say this, but my cancer gave me more than it took away. I was given love and support from family and friends that surprised me and was soothing to my soul. I was given a closer connection with Spirit. My practices of gratitude, journaling and meditation gave me a whole new perspective on life and living. Ultimately, I was given a re-routing of my life, a re-direction, which I didn’t even know I needed until it was given to me.
For more information about Anne Marie’s book, Bright Side of the Road, please visit this page: www.annemariebennett.com
To purchase the book, please visit this page: www.annemariebennett.com/how-to-purchase
Bright Side of the Road is also available on Amazon.com http://tiny.cc/lf3HF
