Elephants and Tea - June 2022 - 41

HEALING Dear Cancer...
DEAR CANCER, I NEVER EXPECTED YOU
ANNA BLEDSOE
Dear Cancer,
Before meeting you, I was so distracted. I lived such an unintentional life,
carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. I didn't know how to
forgive. I was consumed with bitterness and annoyance at everything in
me and around me. The importance of everyday life was so heavy and
shadowed by the looming spirit of depression and anxiety.
You taught me to let it all go.
We met on May 10, 2021, and it was a day that changed my life
forever. Talk about coming in like a wrecking ball, and you did just
that. I never expected you. Although in the months leading up to the
diagnosis, my subconscious kept mentioning you. I thought I was
crazy for thinking it, but I knew.
I thought you were a side effect from an infection, so to find out you
were actually breast cancer was utterly shocking. Before meeting you,
all I knew about cancer was that you quickly took my grandmother's
life. So, when I found out about you, my first thought was, " No, I can't
be sick. I can't die. I am not ready. "
That's when it started-the analysis of life. What life meant, how
I had been spending my life, what I wanted to do with it, and why I
was so scared to lose it.
You forced me to not only look at death but to thoroughly look at
life. You changed me to the core in less than one year. You taught
me that life is ever so fragile, that nothing here on Earth is promised
tomorrow. Now I know to take each day as a blessing.
Although life is fragile, fighting you has shown me that I am resilient in body, mind, and
spirit. So many times, I have felt like I could not go on, and yet I did. I have been knocked down
and continue to get up time after time.
You showed me where I stand with the people in my life. I have learned who will be there
and who will not. I have learned how important boundaries are for my mental and emotional
health and how crucial it is to speak up and be honest. Life is too short to walk around with
the weight of unspoken words and unexpressed emotions.
I have gained so much empathy, compassion, and understanding. I have come to know the
beautiful love of all the people around me, and I want to pass that love on to others. I want to spend
my time on this Earth making other people's lives a little easier, even if it's just for a moment.
Most importantly, you pushed me closer to God than I could ever have imagined. I have spent
countless hours praying, talking, and crying out to God. After knowing you, the talks with
God are so different. The whole experience has connected me with the other side: the spiritual
side, the side where you go when the body can't contain you any longer. To accept the fragility
of life is to accept the realness of God and the other side.
I now see that this life is a gift, and that each day should be lived with the intention to love
deeper, to be kinder, to be more patient, and to always seek God's will.
I have never wanted to conquer something as desperately as I do you, which ultimately gives
me the drive to live. As crazy as it is, I don't think I regret meeting you. If anything, I thank you.
Thank you for the wake-up call about life and showing me what's important. Thank you for
showing me how much I love life and its people, and how much I want to live.
Sincerely,
- Anna Bledsoe
PS: I hope never to see you again!
ELEPHANTSANDTEA.COM
JUNE 2022
41
ANNA BLEDSOE IS A
STAGE 3 TRIPLE POSITIVE
OCCULT BREAST CANCER
SURVIVOR. DIAGNOSED
IN MAY 2021 AT THE
AGE OF 31, SHE HAS
COMPLETED 16 ROUNDS
OF CHEMOTHERAPY,
THREE SURGERIES,
AND 30 ROUNDS OF
RADIATION. SHE DID
TRADITIONAL MEDICINE,
WHILE ALSO USING A
HOLISTIC APPROACH
FOR WELLNESS.
BLEDSOE IS A SMALL
BUSINESS OWNER AND
IS PASSIONATE ABOUT
HELPING OTHERS. SHE IS
CURRENTLY WORKING
ON HER BLOG (WWW.
THRIVINGTOBEME.
COM) IN HOPES TO HELP
OTHERS BY SHARING
WHAT SHE HAS LEARNED
AND EXPERIENCED.
http://www.thrivingtobeme.com http://www.thrivingtobeme.com http://www.thrivingtobeme.com http://www.ELEPHANTSANDTEA.COM

Elephants and Tea - June 2022

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