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Blogs by Linda Merlino
Blog One Word 10/8/2008 6:06:44 PM
There is one word, a four-letter word that binds us to life. That word is hope. Without hope there is no reason to be, no reason to survive or to carry on. Hope is our glue, our daily dose of spiritual vitamin that prevents the breakdown of spirit and the onset of despair.
We must remember how fragile hope can be, how the maintaining of this four-letter word requires the love and support of family. Holding on to the thread of hope when you are faced with the possibility of your own demise is a challenge. Cancer shuts off the music in our lives, it takes up residence uninvited. Cancer moves in and spreads itself out. The treatment of this disease takes over. One day you could get up and go about your ordinary life and the next day you are tagged for chemotherapy, mastectomy, and/or radiology by a staff of nurses and doctors trying to give you every chance to survive.
Emotionally, hope can become elusive almost transparent. You could lose hope at any turn and then what? What would you do? Hudson Catalina is faced with that question and struggles with her own loss of hope. The decent into darkness that is represented by my book’s title has been the subject of several questions. Since hope is also part of having faith then its presence in each of our lives needs to be acknowledged and given its own chance to survive. Cancer crosses boundaries of culture, religion and genetics. It does not discriminate; it is not racist, anti-Semitic or bound by rules and convention.
Cancer laughs in the face hope, but there is no stronger medicine, no elixir or potion. In the end, if we keep hope alive, if we hold on through the darkest of days when there is light again, whether it is the beacon of God’s lantern, or the light in our kitchen, with hope and love we are victorious.
Please stop by Belly of the Whale’s Virtual Book Tour which is dedicated to Breast Cancer Awareness. Here are some of the upcoming stops, welcome aboard.
October 7-The Library at the End of the Universe
October 8-Café of Dreams
October 9-The Merits of the Case
October 10-Café of Dreams
October 13-Scribe Vibe
October 14-Literarily
Blog what you see, hear, think and feel.
Linda
