It was GrrAttitude that made things happen in my life. Cancer just brought that out more. I love to waterski, my hands are swollen in the morning and barely hold a toothbrush with the inflammatory arthritis so when I decided that I was not going to be left out for a waterski, it took GrrrAttitude two days ago. I couldn’t hold on and the pain shot through my hands but one more try and add that Grrr because nothing happens when it hurts without that. Yes, 1 second more and I pull out of the wave on a slalom ski like a feeling that I cannot measure – emerging on top out of the mist at 30 mph. At some point, I could no longer feel my hands, they wanted to let go but my mind was in that awesome space as I leaned too and fro in this moment of centripetal freedom. I pay for it afterwards but who else is supposed to open a wine bottle, that’s what Mark is for.

Then I watched the Eight man rowing on the Olympics. The tiny coxen, Brian Price was a cancer survivor of ALL – a type of childhood leukemia. The engine room of muscle didn’t say it was due to their training or focus – no , it was the fire and GrrrAttitude of Brian Price who credits his survival skills from cancer as his inner strength and attitude to push a team to a point where they would otherwise give up. His height attributed to the chemotherapy affecting his growth, he wears it as a badge and rises with inner fortitude, from the incredible pain he had to bear. Who would know that was his advantage – tiny height – firey heart was the description of an Olympic coxen.  Every athlete knows, he went through more pain in his treatment that an Olympian and bow to his honor. That is a survivor. It is not defined as one who will never have cancer again, it is someone who has endured terrible adversity mentally and physically and overcome it. Actually, I met with inspiring people and we have joined ourselves together as the Cancer Survivors with Attitude Club – or maybe it should be GrrrAttitude.  That is what it is all about. It’s tough to be eligible to join our club but why not celebrate our uniqueness, strength and pure zest for life.

So when you when it’s so hard to get up after chemo or work out in recovery with fatigue, dig for GrrrAttitude  - one step further and you will be so proud of yourself. Write it on your hand, post it in the bathroom or put it on your phone and remind yourself each day to push that little bit more …….. Be part of the Survivors with GrrrAttitude Club.

The True Measure of Success is not in the number of Achievements

But the Number of Obstacles overcome along the Way.............