Okay, so y'all may be wondering what's going on, that caused me a bit of a "happiness challenge"...
Well, I got news that no one wants to hear about family. My father was diagnosed with late-stage pancreatic cancer. That had already spread elsewhere. Not a good candidate for surgery, and treatment didn't look like it would give him much more time.
With that on your mind, happy is hard. Hope is hard. Maintaining the 'attitude of gratitude' is HARD.
But...
They got a second opinion, and... while the diagnosis is the same, this doctor's attitude, energy, and creativity is a LOT better. He had ideas for pain management, treatment options the first guy hadn't mentioned, and a lot of hope and reason for my parents to believe.
It really is kind of astonishing the difference one's attitude can make. Particularly when delivering some really serious/bad news. If you go in sour and depressing, it spreads. If you go in with hope and ideas, that spreads, too!
And... just to kind of put a point on it... Hope and believing, it can be everywhere, and if you have strength enough to accept it, it can make such a difference.
Quokka's post came right before my folks got that second opinion! (thank you again, sweetie!)
Never ever ever give up hope. Never ever ever stop believing. That energy goes out there, and brings like energy to you.
Also, tell your family and loved ones how much you love them. If saying is hard, send a card or give a small token that would be meaningful to them. Same for your friends. Let 'em know how special they are and how much you cherish them. So... that's why I've been a bit off my usual.
That was hard to take in.
Still dealing with it (and the flu! ugh!)
But with Hope, I'm feeling stronger.
I love you peoples
Thanks for being awesome.