As I look around my living room, in my mind’s eye I still can see my old living room, albeit a little blurry now.  As I continue to settle into this new life of mine, you have to observe (or at least I think you do) how your old life fades slowly into the background and becomes a series of memories.

Life is about evolution.  Think about the stages of our lives from childhood to adulthood.  Evolution is about adapting and changing too.  Trying new things, setting new goals. Living dreams.  In my case, add surviving breast cancer.

Into my new life have come my family and most of my friends.  I have noticed some drop off because that happens when your life changes.  For some, I am sort of out of sight out of mind and that is o.k.  There are also people who have just dropped off and while most people are happy for me,   it’s also life that maybe some aren’t so happy.  That is not my responsibility, however.  My life has changed, and  I do have to think about me, what I want, and what being part of a family unit involves and means every day.  Like it or not, that changes somewhat the day to day dynamic.  To go from thinking about “me” to “we” is a way to sum it up.   Or you could just call it growing up and doing lots of laundry:<}

Breast cancer forced me to look at a lot of things.  It also made me face fears about myself.  Like driving.  Unless you are of my inner circle, you don’t know that I really did  not like to drive.  I still don’t love it, but I am doing more of it, and the fear is receding.

Breast cancer definitely forces you to look at all sorts of things. It  makes you look at your dreams, even the ones that seem unattainable and Walter Mittyish.  Surviving a bout of breast cancer made me want to transfer some of my dreams to a bucket list.  To make some of them a reality, versus a wish list.  Two of those things were my writing and photography.

The writing is happening.  I am doing freelance for The Philadelphia Inquirer’s online presence Philly.com/neighbors main line and other publications like Main Line Parent Magazine. (My latest Philly.com byline can be found here.) I still jump up and down when I see my byline it makes me so happy.  And people continue to respond positively to this blog and my chestercountyramblingsblog . But the writer not merely reader bylines in regional publications?  Such an amazing feeling of accomplishment.

And also the photography is happening.  I entered that I Love Classic Towns Photo Contest put on by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission way back when, remember? Well tonight they announce the winners at a gallery opening at the Ambler Theatre in Ambler PA  .  So how cool is that to be part of a gallery opening?   I am so excited!  Follow the gallery show link   here and look for a black and white photo called “Window Soldiers” .  Another thing to check off the bucket list. (Today I also have an accidentally uncredited photo appearing in Main Line Today Magazine’s food blog The Main Course.)

In the breast cancer of it all, I still have heard nothing back yet about the BRCA test.

Anyway, that is all from the land of me.   And mind you, without the love and support of my sweet man, my bucket list items might still be wishes versus reality.   It is amazing what the right relationship does for your life, isn’t it?

Life is only a glass half empty if you allow it to be, right?