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Janine De Tillio Cammarata πŸ–ŠοΈ's avatar

So much here to foster hope, Victoria! I always see it as an action. What lifts me up, fills my cup so that when there are harder days I have an overflowing amount of love for self and others.

Both BrenΓ© Brown and Suleika Jaouad are powerful teachers. Strong back, soft front and wild heart and living each day as your first.

Both encompass feeling in the moment. Living each day with the contrasts of joy and pain. That's what makes life so beautiful and so hard. But the throughline is HOPE!

Victoria's avatar

Exactly Janine. Thank you for taking some of your precious time to write your thoughts. Appreciating life daily, I love that phrase you used, 'Living each day with the contrasts of Joy and Pain' - it's the FULL spectrum, with nuances and shades, not a simplistic binary of positive and negative. Thanks for sharing, Janine! xo

Janine De Tillio Cammarata πŸ–ŠοΈ's avatar

It’s been a tough couple months but I do think that acknowledging this is how life is helped to notice the joy in the sorrow. Thank you for all you do! I see and feel how much you put into this space. ❀️

Victoria's avatar

Thank you! It's good to feel seen and understood. When we're amid what looks neverending, there's still a beautiful story being told - Without a hero narrative. With love and ALL the colours of life.❀️ Thanks, Janine

Bespoke Traveler's avatar

Such an important reminder: β€œI’m not trying to create a hero narrative to recount later.” Thank you.

Victoria's avatar

Thanks! It hit me hard when I heard Suleika say this in the podcast (a great interview).

Then I thought, we live in a Western culture that focuses on rags to riches, the American Dream (although I'm here in the UK, it's true here too), a survivalist narrative of overcoming hardship, being the hero... But in reality, the sticky, messy uncertainty is a much more extended period than the few minutes highlighted on Greys Anatomy episode or in a film ;-) I love that series and these entertaining films BUT I needed a reframe of hope that's closer to my reality, that I could more wholly relate to! ;-)

oops, long reply short comment! I'm glad that resonated with you.

Janine De Tillio Cammarata πŸ–ŠοΈ's avatar

It's also about being in something for the long run. It's a journey to heal, find your path, create your truth, survive, thrive, and succeed in whatever way it means to you.

When thrust onto that uncertain path, I know that what truly matters is quickly revealed to me.

Jody Day's avatar

I love how your reframe HOPE in this essay - such a powerful and poignant thing to do. Big hugs, Jody x

Victoria's avatar

Thanks so much, Big Sis! I'm relieved to have found inspiration for this reframing from the podcasts. I've always had a strong need to get my head around things is..but watching / trying to help close friends on their cancer journey is mind-bending AND heart-tighteningly, so I frustrate my own efforts to think clearly .... there are just not enough paradoxical adjectives to describe things... 'human condition' as a word container is too finite.

I appreciate your appreciation of this effort to reframe ;-) Big hugs