Going back to nature

“Water quiets all the noise, all the distractions, and connects you to your own thoughts.”

From Blue Mind book by Wallace J. Nichols

I ki I know that science and trained doctors saved my life. Surgeries, radiotherapy and chemotherapy undoubtedly calmed a life threatening situation. BUT....... medications have also been responsible for putting me within a few days of death. They left my physical body battered and my emotional mind wrecked. Over the past 2 years and 5 months I’ve spent much of my time recovering; both physically and emotionally. I’ve still got a big old brain tumour but it appears to be behaving itself at the current time. After treatment, I put this good behaviour down to alternative therapies and staying positive.

This weekend has been a perfect example of how to spend quality time, working on keeping the mind calm. On Tuesday I am travelling to London. I’m excited because I’m attending a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, after receiving my BEM. This still feels a bit surreal..... earlier hubby said to me “Imagine two wee eedjits from Coleraine going to Buckingham Palace!!” I pointed out it was even worse.... with one of us actually from Derry and the other from Glasgow!! Common as muck haha.  

So I’m very excited about our trip BUT it’s the first time I’ve flown since being diagnosed and I’m terrified of the flight. Despite being cleared by all the medical professionals, I still hold a fear that the change in air pressure will lead to my head exploding! 

In a bid to keep me calm, on Thursday night I added kineastheology to my list of alternative therapies and am now armed with calming essential oil to rub into my palms pre flight to keep me calm. Tomorrow I have a hypnotherapy session planned. This weekend I went full on nature! Yesterday we went to Portglenone Forest, which was absolutely beautiful....... bluebells, beautiful wildflowers and trees, butterflies, birds singing and even a riverbank. 

As we stood watching the river flow by, I was admiring a black lab who’s owner was throwing a stick into the water. The dog was having a great time, swimming out and bringing it back to be thrown again. The lady and I began to chat about the joys of having dogs and she told me about her sister, who....... yep, you’ve guessed it........has a brain tumour! How does this just keep happening to me? Only a couple of weeks ago I met a lady in a cafe who I hadn’t seen in years. I spoke to her and we had a chat. I told her who I was (I knew she’d remember my parents) and that I remembered her and her husband walking up and down our road when I was a kid. She remembered our family and gave me a hug to thank me for taking the time to speak to her. Then she told me about her husband and the fact that he’d been living with a brain tumour for a number of years now! Either the number of people with brain tumours is increasing or else some sort of strange energy is drawing me to people who have been touched by one. It’s strange yet comforting.....

This morning was sea swim Sunday; my favourite day of the week! Conditions were perfect. I even had on my new swimsuit, which I’m happy to report is two sizes smaller than the last one! Finally fighting back from steroid chubbiness!! As I walked into the surf with my friend of around 30 years, we gasped and shouted out at the coldness of the water. But soon we were in. That initial immersion felt so good that I found myself laughing and crying all at once. Bobbing in the calm sea and enjoying the unique freedom that comes from outdoor swimming always leaves me a bit overwhelmed. It’s a combination of feeling proud I’m in, feeling all my aches and pains taken away by being weightless in the water and the joy of being in nature. We stayed in for ages; neither of us wanting the dip to end.  Eventually I told my friend that hubby would be giving off because I’d been in so long...... he worries about me getting too cold. Sure enough, I looked up to the Arcadia and saw hubby and two friends signalling me to come out. I laughed “Come in number 6, your time is up!” but knew they were right. Out we got, hugging goodbye and declaring our love for each. 

It’s wonderful to have a friend that shares your love of the sea. We’ve even booked to go on a boat trip later in the summer. This is our third attempt at a relaxing boat trip. The first time we booked to sail to Islay but a storm stopped our plans. Then we booked a whale and dolphin watching trip, only to end up drenched by torrential rain and 10 foot high waves crashing over the boat. When asked if we’d seen anything, I’d replied “Only our lives.... flashing before our eyes!!” This one will hopefully be third time lucky.

“Hark now hear the sailors cry,

Smell the sea and feel the sky.

Let your soul and spirit cry, into the mystic.”

Van Morrison

 

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