Monday, June 18, 2012

Musings - A new favorite Chinese proverb

After my second breast cancer treatments were completed in 1995, which seems like both yesterday and a long time ago, I had a Feng Shui consultant come to my home to make recommendations about changing aspects of our living environment to optimize the odds for me living a long healthy life after this new cancer. I was so distraught that I was willing to do anything............I thought...........until I found out I wasn't.

One of the recommendations (in fact a strong recommendation) was to get rid of the color green in my life. Diana: "Why? I don't think I can do that." Consultant: "You must, you must, green represents growth, which you do not want your tumors surrounded by." Diana: "Hmmm, but I love the color green and all it represents, especially growth." And back and forth, in discussion, in my mind, and in my heart.

Short story here: I kept my green double front doors (outside and inside), I did not get rid of the grass, I kept the green ivy wallpaper in our kitchen, and on and on at our old home, and you have seen photos of the VERY green (granted too much green) kitchen we are now living with at the farm that we have not rushed to change.

Continued short story: I am still here, still cancer-free, in spite of not following much of the advice of that Feng shui consultant.

Continued short story: I just had to smile last week when I saw this new (to me) Chinese proverb on the outside of an envelope from the Detroit Audubon Society:

"If I keep a green bough in my heart,
the singing bird will come."

~Chinese Proverb

There is that color green again. Singing birds have come to our farm. I have little tears in my eyes of both happiness and gratitude listening to them every single day. I am so glad that I listened and paid attention to the singing birds in my heart and head instead of the 'my way or the highway' advice of this (likely well-meaning) consultant. I am so glad I did not let the emotional distress and determination to beat (yet again) cancer over-ride who I am and the aspects of life that are important to me.

I took my chances back then. When push came to shove, I chose my own emphasis on quality of life factors over extension of life with this particular therapy, as life without green, life without beauty as my (green) eyes and heart see it would have likely been a sad and short life anyway.

I hope there is a green bough in your heart, that singing birds have come, and you are listening to them, too. :)

"Cultivate your life - you are what you grow - inch by inch, row by row"


Diana Dyer, MS, RD