10 Days

You know how much gets packed into a short period of time at the end of any school year. The 10 day period we are entering is chock full of great things ...

* TJ's middle school Honors Night
* TJ's 8th grade class trip to St Louis
* TJ's last day of middle school and 8th grade promotion ceremony
* Abby's last day of 3rd grade
* Our three-day trip to Kenosha to enjoy Drew's Baccalaureate and College Commencement
* Moving Drew's things from WI for the last time, and much closer to home

It's one of those times where you know you will blink, and it will be over ... but I am so looking forward to the next 10 days. I think for once because I've given myself permission to look ahead and enjoy life more than the "one day at at time" pace that I've imposed on myself recently. Looking forward to something with joy and anticipation is good for the soul, and our hearts will be filled with pride and joy during the next 10 days.

So while I'm at it, I'm looking ahead more than one day at a time to some other joys in the coming months.

* Even though the summer will be filled with chemo treatments, Dr's appointments, lab work and more ... Drew will be moving back in here for the final time (yeah, I know many parents think that, but he'll truly be independent, I have no doubts) this summer. He'll start his teaching career in August, and I so look forward to seeing him lead his kindergarten through sixth graders toward a true love and enjoyment of music.

* TJ will start high school in the fall, and I'm looking forward to all of the things about that which I enjoy. I didn't dread the high school years before, I enjoyed them for what they brought ... a teenager's personal growth, maturity, new milestones leading to adulthood, high school dances and activities. I so look forward to sharing all of that with him.

* Abby will start her last year of grade school, entering 4th grade. She's blossoming into such a beautiful young girl, and life is fun with a girly-girl whose day is not complete if she can't find something pretty to wear or add some bling to an outfit in some way.

And even though the fall brings surgery and recovery my way ... I so look forward to one of my favorite holidays of the year, Thanksgiving. I have always cooked the entire traditional meal by myself, and I love that day as a day to focus on family.

I'll end radiation treatments at the end of 2012, about the same time we share the joys of the Christmas holiday with our family, and celebrate our 30th anniversary.

And by spring, when we return to Destin ... we'll have the whole family along since Drew will be teaching and his spring break is the same week as ours ... and I'll finally be able to say I'm cancer free.

So in some ways, I have to remind myself not to only live one day at a time ... because the anticipation of the joys of all the good things to come are enough to keep me inspired to continue the fight.