Do any of you watch old Fawlty Towers episodes? You know when the wife is on the phone, ignoring customers,drawling, "Oh, I KNOW!"
Lately, I have found myself hearing from family and friends who have received breast cancer diagnoses. Two people in the last two weeks.
I guess I know how it feels. In the case of my sister-in-law, she wants to talk to me about how it feels to get a body part cut off.
Oh, I KNOW!
In the case of my friend, do I understand the fear of the still-unknown-and-soon-to-be-determined prognosis?
I KNOW.
However, what do any of us know of other people's pain? How well did I come through breast cancer? Awesome! Unless you want to count the emotional blow-torch that I applied to my life afterward.
Anyone who is familiar with my life is aware that I don't have any wisdom. Or knowledge or answers or solutions.
Oh! I know.
But you do, you know..
ReplyDeleteI've been reading your blog for a very long time. I've watched you go from a woman in a marriage that just wasn't working (although you tried frantically to hide that), but was mad crazy in love with her children and didn't want to upset the status. Besides, you weren't emotionally strong enough to leave him. And then, yes...you became very ill, fought a dangerous dragon. And it changed you. I saw you bloom right in front of me on your blog. You went from being a little wishy washy to being a warrier. After you snuffed out the cancer, you turned a bold eye to your life and made the needed changes with a heavy heart but a sure hand. And then...love. It came to you. Truthfully? (And you may hate me for it, but I am always honest with you, Kate.) I'm not sure that plunging into your marriage wasn't a decision based on need more than anything else. But, who cares? For right now, it is working. And you are just such an interesting, smart woman to watch. And read...
My dear Maria-
ReplyDeleteI can handle your honesty! :) You are absolutely right, and I worry about it sometimes. Should I have waited and let the relationship evolve a bit more? Probably. Should I have stayed away from C. until I was settled and at peace with myself as a single woman? It would have been smart. But you are also correct that marriage to Chuck is working very well. More by luck than judgement, but I'll take it!