Ok, this time I am truly delinquent. I promised an update over a month ago and I just could not find the time to deliver. That is the bad news; the good news is the reason I could not update my blog is that I was too busy taking care of myself. See, I am learning!
Life is definitely different after my cancer experience. For those that know me well you may find this hard to believe; but my absolute first priority is 7 to 8 hours sleep each night; and sometimes even more. My other priorities include healthy eating (and the odd piece of chocolate or glass of red wine), getting some exercise, and spending time with family and friends. Add in my latest priority which is 8 to 10 hours of work at my new job along with an hour or two for my health law course work and there just isn’t a lot of time left in a day.
As you all know, Monday was Election Day in Canada; and suffice it to say that I wasn’t thrilled with all of the results. I know a lot of hard working, dedicated, very intelligent and compassionate people that were not elected; and I know others that I wouldn’t trust to drive me around the block that were elected. That being said, it did give me a chance to reflect on my term in Parliament. And when I think back now, I actually smile about the crazy hours and lifestyle that I kept; that I actually thought was healthy at the time.
Why did I think getting 5 or 6 hours sleep was healthy? Because I sometimes found an hour to exercise once or twice a week; because I didn’t drink much alcohol; and because I thought that I made healthy choices in restaurants. Add in about 16 to 18 hours of work most days; any wonder why my body failed me several years later? I truly tried to be super woman. I took on every important local issue; tried to ensure my area was reflected in most national decisions or changes; and literally just never stopped. When I joined cabinet and became responsible for Canada’s foreign aid program; I just added that to the list of things to do. I thought that I could do it all. I can remember being in Kenya; up at 2 am Kenya time, talking to my office back in Essex; or being in Russia, talking to the Mayor of Windsor about the border issue. No, my foreign travels were not as a tourist; they were work and then more work. But I loved what I did; and knew it was a privilege to be elected and have the opportunity to serve on behalf of Canadians. I will never be certain, but I often think that if my life was just a bit more balanced back then that I perhaps I would not have had breast cancer.
So my advice to all new and perhaps old Members of Parliament; is to remember to stop and smell the roses. Take some time each day for yourself; and get enough rest. We are all replaceable; just look at Monday’s results; 24 hours in politics can be a very long time. And it will not matter if you do not succeed on every issue or file. Choose your battles carefully but most importantly balance your workload. Life is definitely short; and remember that each day is a gift.
I hate to admit it but it took breast cancer to stop me in my tracks and truly reflect on what is important in life. What did I want to do once I was finished treatment and back on my feet? How did I want to live my life?
After a lot of soul searching I decided that I wanted a job that I could be passionate about; that would help other people and make a positive difference in society. I also wanted to work with an organization that understood health challenges; that appreciated the value of each individual’s contribution; and that truly respected their employees. Most importantly, I wanted to work with a team of dedicated; passionate; and like minded individuals. And that is why I find myself at rare Charitable Research Reserve today.
The staff, the Board, the volunteers, the scientific advisors; and the donors at rare understand both the importance of commitment and making a difference in society. The goal of rare is to protect, enhance and restore 900 plus acres of ecologically and environmentally sensitive land in Cambridge and North Dumfries Township. rare’s priority to deliver environmental experiential education for the youth of the region; combined with the research that is conducted on the property to enhance and protect both the wildlife and vegetation in the region; are both goals that I am truly passionate about. Why? Because I truly believe that the environment plays a very large role in the health of individuals today. So teaching individuals of all ages about the importance of the environment, combined with research that will ensure the future of the environmentally sensitive features of the property is truly important for all of us.
But why rare? And why Cambridge some of you may be asking?
Well try to imagine starting your day amongst the trees of an old growth forest; versus concrete and tall glass buildings in downtown Toronto. No rushing to catch the subway; or near misses or traffic congestion along the Gardiner Expressway or 401. Although this is not meant to be disrespectful of Toronto, it is my humble opinion that being outside the shadow of Toronto; in the growing Waterloo Region; rare will be able to develop into an international site for both research and education.
In addition to the work that is done at rare each and every day; there is also an incredible future for the charity and the property that it controls. So I have taken on this challenge as Executive Director at rare with all of the energy that I can possibly muster. The challenge to work side by side with individuals who care about making a difference; and who want to both protect and enhance the environment for the benefit of the entire public and generations to come is both energizing and rewarding. Each day I learn something new about rare and have come to love both the landscape and old buildings. If you want to know more about rare, I invite you to visit www.raresites.org where I will begin a new blog in the coming days.
And somehow over the past month or two, I not only started work; but I also had some follow up surgery from my breast reconstruction in November. It was supposed to be the final phase; but it turns out I will have another round in a few months. Apparently my radiated side is not behaving exactly the way that it should; so the touch up surgery was very minor in March. Some say that radiation can stay in your body for up to a year or 18 months; and I am just reaching the year threshold now, so I keep stretching and exercising; and hoping that the tightness will subside soon.
The good news about the touch up surgery is that I was able to spend some time with my sisters in Winnipeg for a few days. And that is the one thing that I do not mind about having surgery; spending time with family and friends. I have been truly blessed with a supportive network; everyone is always willing to lend a hand and help out. Plus they cook for me, which is always a treat.
The bad thing about having more surgery is that I have to stop exercising for a month each time; and then I have to start over very slowly. My body is quite confused by this starting and stopping; and my muscle tone is lacking these days; but I keep reminding myself that there is an end in sight.
When I did finally return to the gym the other day; I ran into a gentleman who is always upbeat and always has a kind word for me. When I asked him how he could always be so positive, he told me that it was because he has learned to “Walk behind a Smile”; and that has made all the difference in his life. I told him that I was going to borrow this advice and also spread it around.
So no matter what your troubles may be, health, job or family related; try to put a smile on your face first before you get out of bed each day and put your feet on the floor. And if you remember to “Walk behind a Smile” all day long; it will make a world of difference to your day and to those around you.
For me, it is becoming easier to start my day by “Walking behind a Smile”; as it is almost one year now that I am “cancer free”. This year I will not be having radiation on my birthday, instead, I will wake up tomorrow and head off to work with a smile on my face. Later in the day I will drive back to Amherstburg to join my family for a birthday dinner; and it will indeed be a celebration of life. I am definitely fighting back and I intend to celebrate many more birthdays in the years to come!
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