November 3, 2013

October was a busy month. The month went well. I completed a training that will enable me to train others on consumer involvement in leadership, civic participation and organizational skills. In fact, my blog post for this week was going to be about the training. But sometimes life gets in the way.

My focus and attention changed this weekend when I learned that one of my sisters was diagnosed with breast cancer. Thankfully, it seems to have been caught early. Needless to say, as a result of the news, my mind has not been focused on writing my blog. I thought of just not writing at all but instead I thought it would be better to be real and honest.

Even when life happens and things just do not make sense, it is important to not give up. I know first hand the importance of support and encouragement. The best thing I can do is be supportive and encouraging to my sister. Having lost a sister to cancer a little over a year ago, I never expected to have another sister face cancer. But one thing I have learned in my journey is that we do not know what the future holds.

However, we are able to make a choice in how we face the future, both the good and the bad. As a reformed pessimist, I know how easy it is to see the negative but now as an optimist, I have a much better perspective when faced with all types of circumstances. Even when it seems to not make sense, I will continue to be an optimist. For me, hope is essential in my journey. Without hope, how can anyone persevere in life or offer encouragement to others?