Anniversaries: 17 Years On The 18th

Kousa Dogwood Tree

Today--June 18, 2015--marks 17 years to the day that I 'got sick'. 

It's what I call my Anniversary of Getting Sick. 

Every year I take some time to reflect on how I'm feeling about all of these years of illness.

I have a longer post swirling in my head and despite my high hopes, I didn't have the ability to get it written in time. Another day.

Planted For My 15 Year Anniversary

Seventeen years is a long time. A long time. It's almost half of my life so far.

When I type that number and think about how many years have been given to illness, it's a sobering number.

Yet, I find myself feeling mostly celebratory on this Anniversary of Getting Sick.

It appears my body has begun to heal and that every day it continues to heal. To me, that's an amazing miracle. 

A Beautiful Reminder Of Life (And An Excellent Spot of Shade for Gershwin)

This is the first year that I will be able to CELEBRATE LIFE in a new and different way on my Anniversary of Getting Sick. And that's just what I will be doing.

Instead of planting a tree or creating a ceremony to mark what has always been a sobering event, I'll be busy today enjoying my NEW life.

A visit to see Rebekah and her new baby, Katie, is in order for the afternoon. 

In the evening, I will go out with a group of girls for an after dinner drink. 

When thinking about what I wanted to do for my Anniversary of Getting Sick, I thought: I want to go out with a group of girls and have a martini at my favorite restaurant! I want to do something that girls go out and do all of the time without a second thought and I've never been able to do.

I'll be out of the house, spending time with friends, snuggling new a new baby, having a drink, wearing one of my new short dresses and wearing a very big smile. 

I will be OUT LIVING.

This Is The First Year It Has Bloomed! How Fitting Indeed!

This anniversary is a celebration. It's a reminder of how far I've come, of how much I've persevered, of how resilient I have been, of how the body can heal even when we think it cannot, of the joys I hope continue to come my way, of how illness has challenged me to evolve into who I am today, of the medical team that has gotten me to this place, of the family and friends and puppies that surround me on this journey, of the transition from illness to wellness and of how very fortunate I am to be here living this thing we call life.

How very fitting that my Anniversary falls on the 18th. In Judaism, the number 18 is known as "Chai" or "Life". 

To Life! 

Blessings,

Emily