Sunday 10 December 2017

6 weeks Post Stem Cell Transplant and Embracing Christmas

So tomorrow the "new" me will be 6 weeks old. I had a check up at the Cancer Clinic this past Wednesday and my blood levels are doing well. I was given permission to get my flu shot which will prevent me from catching some of the flu germs that are in the general public domain. At my check up, I was also told that I will have a CT scan within this next month  and it will confirm conclusively that I am in remission.  I don't have to go back for another check up until 2 months from now. Woo Hoo!! Life is great!

I love this time of year. I love all the Christmas music which includes the sacred Christmas carols but also the secular Christmas music. I have it on in the house and in the car. This music lifts my spirits and helps me to prepare and wait for Christmas day. Some people may call me naïve. I don't care. I still believe in the birth of Christ and I eagerly embrace all things Christmas during Advent. I have an Advent wreath that my sister-in-law gave me for Christmas many, many years ago. I love to light the candles and reflect on their meanings. I do this in the quiet moments of the morning before life gets busy. I light them every day in their order. So last week, only one candle was lit all week long. This was the candle of "Hope". This morning is the second Sunday in Advent so while all was quiet, I lit the candle of "Peace". In my personal reflection, I hoped for peace to reign throughout the world. Hope for a calming influence on the leaders of the United States and North Korea. Hope for world peace. These were part of my reflections this morning.

Another part of my reflections was hoping for my family to spend time together during Christmas this year. My daughter's work schedule may allow for us to have just one day together. This Christmas is very special for me. I am very blessed and fortunate to be here. So I hope for my family to be able to be together for Christmas Day at the very least. We will celebrate Christmas but also my daughter's birthday as she was the best Christmas present many years ago.

In the spirit of embracing Christmas, this past week included 3 Christmas parties and a hockey game. I had a wonderful time at all of them. They were an opportunity to see people that I care about and visit with them. The last party was held last night. I had a very filling turkey dinner which was topped off with a sherry trifle and a cup of tea. This morning, I was wanting to go to church and celebrate the second Sunday in Advent. I wanted to contribute to my church's White Gift project. However, this morning, my busy week has caught up to me and I'm feeling very tired and achy. So I have listened to my body and stayed home from church. I truly believe that God will forgive me and appreciate my own reflections on this Sunday of Peace.

Advent will continue and I will continue to wait and prepare for Christmas Day where I will celebrate the arrival of the birth of my saviour, Jesus Christ. I will also eagerly await and prepare to celebrate my family being all together. The four of us have not been together since February. My children fill me with warmth and this year is a special Christmas to celebrate us all together again.

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