Alternative Therapies

Today is Memorial Day. That makes it an excellent day for reflection and for appreciating the sacrifices others have made so that I can have all the options that I do. It’s easy to forget how fortunate I am to be able to deal with my cancer in a variety of ways instead of having no other choice but to yield to it.

Today I chose alternative therapies--those being wine, chocolate and good company. Chuck and I met our friends Ken and Scott at Chateau Lorane and we enjoyed their art show and live music while we (Ken, Scott and I) tasted a variety of wines. After that, we drove further north and visited Sweet Cheeks winery where we had more wine and a delightful picnic that Ken had prepared for us. Sweet Cheeks has a view to rival King Estates and that’s saying a lot. It was a perfect setting for a picnic and the weather couldn’t have been nicer.

We ended our tour at another winery and then headed home. I realized that I had spent the better part of a day not thinking about cancer. It feels a little like ending a relationship. The “divorce” isn’t final yet but the process is under way. It’s like that first time when you go a whole day and realize that you didn’t waste a bit of it being angry or brooding about what he did or didn’t do; what he’s going to do next; he’s moved out and it’s over or at least starting to be over. The tumor is gone and it’s time to clean up the debris that’s left but that doesn’t mean thinking about it non-stop. That makes this a very good day!

.