The Crown Jewel of the Olympics

The grandeur of the mountains is evident throughout the entire 923,000 acres of Olympic National Park. The most spectacular example of all is Mount Olympus and the Hoh River Valley.

The moment I saw some old photos of this remote, glacier-covered peak, I knew that I wanted to climb it. I was a back country skier living in Vermont at the time, and the images of year- round snow and sharp rugged peaks drew me in like a moth to a flame.

Blue Glacier, Olympic National Park

…Continue Reading Mount Olympus

I sometimes find myself tangled-up in my to do list. I can’t seem to get out of my own way. Even now…13 years after finishing radiation following brain surgery(s)…I get stuck in neutral.  Yes…this last sentence holds clues to some percentage of my problem. It is difficult to go through this sort of treatment regiment without some sort of brain damage.

All cancer treatments…all drugs…have side effects. Radiation and Chemotherapy are known to effect a brains’ ability to function at the highest of levels. We were not all dealt the same hand at the beginning of our life…and we are not playing with the same cards once we’ve been diagnosed. We do what we can. And with some effort…to the best of our abilities.

The transition from being newly diagnosed…then treated…then waiting to see a response…takes it’s toll. In these past 13 years I had plenty of ups and downs. Getting bogged down is a side effect of my life as a brain cancer survivor. So I take baby steps when necessary.

I have come up with a mantra of sorts. It’s kind of like mindful breathing. With my breathing…I can take a moment to slow down and breathe purposefully…feeling my body doing the simple task that we constantly take for granted. And why not? We’ve been doing it all our life…even before we knew we were alive.

But with consciousness comes added responsibility. As young adults we learn…it’s time to justify our existence…to make our own mark on the world. As cancer survivors…we don’t need to build anything for the world to come see…or win the Nobel Prize. We just need to do…what we need to do…to move forward.

DO SOMETHING!

DO SOMETHING MORE THAN NOTHING

DO SOMETHING TO GET MOVING

DO SOMETHING TO MOVE FORWARD

DO SOMETHING THAT ACHIEVES A TASK

DO SOMETHING PHYSICAL

DO SOMETHING CREATIVE

DO SOMETHING THAT YOU LIKE

DO SOMETHING THAT MOTIVATES YOU

DO SOMETHING THAT HELPS YOU

 DO SOMETHING THAT HELPS OTHERS

DO SOMETHING THAT INSPIRES YOU

DO SOMETHING THAT INSPIRES OTHERS

DO SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD

Don’t expect to manage all of these at once…but there are many possible combinations. Give it a try. Do something!