REDONDOWRITER'S SACRED ORDINARY

A Powerful Example of Using SoulCollage® to Document the Journey Through Breast Cancer Treatment

When I took my SoulCollage® facilitator’s training in 2005 in Northern California, Anne Marie Bennett was also there from Massachusetts. She was so drawn to the method that she began giving workshops and set up a website and store on the Internet she calls KaleidoSoul. She also offers online classes on the method there. Like me, Anne Marie (although she is much younger than I am), was a breast cancer survivor when I met her and we shared SoulCollage® cards about that experience at our training. Both of us were obviously hoping we were home free. 

I belong to Anne Marie’s KaleidoSoul listserv, but have not been an active participant. Then I saw via a Facebook post that she is registered on Caring Bridge, A Nonprofit Connecting Family and Friends When Health Matters Most, which I am familiar with, and that she was re-diagnosed this summer with a rare form of breast cancer caused by the radiation from her 2002 treatment. Damn! What is so moving to me is that she is making SoulCollage® cards to milestone her diagnosis and treatment at KaleidoSoul. You can see all her cards and words to date here. 

I believe in this method as a powerful tool for spiritual, physical and mental health and healing, but her examples make the method crystal clear to those who might not be familiar with what can happen when SoulCollage® cards are created.

I had been forgetting two of the three powerful questions a card creator can make after the card is complete to deepen the experience, and Anne Marie's cards and words reinforced in me that I want to do this, too, and place more emphasis on that with the people I teach the method to. 

The question I do use and have shown examples of at Sacred Ordinary is what I call the “I am the one who statements,” personifying the meaning of the card. Seena Frost, the creator of SoulCollage®, calls this the “Who are you?” question. What I had not been doing are asking these two questions: “What do you have to give to me?” and “What do you want from me?” Reading Anne Marie's words are excellent examples of the power of these questions. 

This is National Breast Cancer month and seeing Anne Marie’s images and words at KaleidoSoul has truly moved me on many levels. Here’s to her complete recovery!

 

 

 

Henceforth I Whimper No More--

This shirt was worn by a friend on the Revlon Run/Walk for Breast Cancer this year but I keep reading the phrase over and over again.

 

A two-time breast cancer survivor myself (1989 and 1997, two separate cancers in different breasts), enough time has passed that I don’t find those experiences consciously on my mind anymore on a daily basis. Unless it is test time again, which it is: bloodwork and mammogram are scheduled this month. Now I wake up from dreams about the cancer returning—cancel, cancel, as my late 12-step sponsor would say. I can control my thoughts but I can’t control my dreams.

To my surprise, I’ve been brought up short three times in the past weeks where the memories of my own treatments bombarded me. And I was one of the lucky ones with stage I cancers and I had surgery, radiation, and long time treatment first with tamoxifen and later with Femara. To say I am grateful would be the understatement of the year.

The first memory trigger was when my son-in-law gave me a self-published poetry book called “Sometimes You Dance the Monster” by Beatrice Smart who passed away in May. It is a collection of poems she wrote during her eight-year fight. If you click on the link above, the short book is downloadable in PDF. I have read and own many, many books about cancer and rarely have I been this jolted. Next came a DVD I saw when I was at my sister’s house in Washington last month called "Living Proof" which is a biopic of oncologist and researcher Dr. Dennis Slamon, the UCLA doctor who helped develop the breast cancer drug Herceptin, and his effort to keep the drug trials afloat. His inspiring journey shows the sacrifices he makes in his personal life and the obstacles that he faces to get the drug approved. Thousands of lives have been saved because of his dedication. (The film was based on Robert Bazell’s book “Her-2.”)

Because my own first treatment was at UCLA, some of the rooms in the movie were familiar to me and I have not been able to get the film out of my mind. I highly recommend it, by the way. 

Last night, while looking for images for my art journal, I ran across a book I had not looked at in a long time--Art.Rage.Us: Art and Writing by Women With Breast Cancer published by Chronicle Books. The photos, art and essays are wonderful, but I just kept thinking, "There but for the grace of God, go I." 

The saying on the shirt above reminds me that love of myself and others is letting go of fear, which is from A Course in Miracles. The photo below also reminds me that under all circumstances one must keep a sense of humor. Apparently a lot of women in the Run/Walk brought animals, too. Incredible strides have been made in breast ca drugs and treatments. As a survivor, I say thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

 

 

Jimmie's Question: Who Are Your Angels?

Jimmie Ruth Olsen taught art at the school I work at since 1991; we came the same year. My first breast cancer was diagnosed in 1989 and hers a few years earlier. I dealt with treatment twice (no dripped chemo either time), but Jimmie dealt with it almost continuously for 22 years in both breasts and subsequent metastes. In spite of all she went through, she was optimistic, courageous and funny as hell. She sometimes took some months off work to be treated and recover, but mostly she came to work to teach the kids art--and she was always creating art of her own. We were not close friends, but she was an inspiration to me. 

On Feb. 17, 2009, Jimmie got pneumonia and died and her loss to our school community is immense. Her memorial was held on the school campus on Feb. 22, but I was not able to attend. How I will remember, Jimmie, however, is through panels of her art which was on display during our fall faculty art show called Angels Among Us. Jimmie worked in all mediums, but these three separate three-dimensional wood carvings were unlike anything I had seen her do before. Click on them to see them larger. Her artist's statement explaining how the angels pertained to her 22 years of treatment follows
the photos. Jimmie lives on in all our hearts and she really does want to know, "Who are your angels?"

 

This is Jimmie's artist statement:

Why are angels so important to me? This is a question I have asked myself for years. I have painted angels, sculpted them, and read about them. Now, I do not claim to possess any divine powers, nor can I see or talk to God’s winged creatures. They are the living beings who crossed my path during my long journey of survival.

One might ask why I see Elvis as an angel? When I listen to the songs that only “The King” could deliver, there is no question that he is the angel that carried me at times. The subtle lessons we learn from the angels are often overlooked. I try to always acknowledge my friends and how much they influence my day-to-day life. And one must not forget some of the most important angel: our pets. My dog, Lucy, has never left my side during the worst, even traveling over a mile by herself through busy intersections to find me and to be by my side.

Now tell me, who are your angels? They are among us. Simply wait and ask for them to appear.

Thank you to family, friends, Dr. John Link, Dr. Christopher Duma, Breastlink Medical and Gammaknife Center. These people, and lots of laughter, are all part of the cure.

Jimmie Olsen
Breast Cancer Survivor, 20 years

The Artfull Bras Project - and a Personal Challenge

This is not the first time I've seen artists use brassieres as an art form, but it's the first time I've seen such a comprehensive website showing so many bras. Thanks to my friends Vicki and Lynne in Portland, OR for sending the link to the Artfull Bras Project.

Members of Quilters of South Carolina have created one-of-a-kind bras for Breast Cancer Awareness. The exhibit consists of forty-nine original works of art which are unique, entertaining, humorous, and beautiful to make the public aware of breast cancer, to memorialize those lost to the disease, and to honor survivors. 

This bra by Jean Mandeville is called "Boobs in Bloom."

This exhibit will tour SC until Oct '09 at which time individual Artfull Bras will be auctioned and the proceeds donated to the Best Chance Network, a program to provide care and treatment of uninsured women across the state who are diagnosed with breast and ovarian cancer.

The bras come prepared for display on their own hangers and are available for exhibit across the state of South Carolina. The exhibit is available until October of 2009.

Now, I'd like to issue a challenge. As a two-time breast cancer survivor myself, I'm putting on my creative thinking cap about a bra that would be my expression of life. Are you willing to join me? I'll put photos of your works of art up at Sacred Ordinary, or link to your blog or website. Let's say the deadline is April 1. Let me know if you are participating.