Picture Your Life After Cancer

I usually blog with informational tips and pointers. Today, the post is a bit more personal for me. I want to share hope for the estimated 12 million cancer survivors in the U.S., I am grateful how parts of my past has woven and shaped my life's work. A while back, I submitted the entry below to a New York Times online Picture Your Life After Cancer photo gallery. New York Times

What I wrote:
Twenty-four years after my last cancer treatment for Ewing’s sarcoma, my passion in life is helping clients transform loss and hardships into happiness. Cancer has taught me resiliency, empathy: a strength that propels me in helping guide others through their pain. It is my belief that grief and loss is not only about death and dying, it is about every disappointment we have ever faced. I work with clients to heal grief and loss from chronic illness such as cancer, divorce, miscarriage, loss of a pet to death of a loved one.
Cancer has taught me to see life through a new lens. Cancer took away mobility in my right arm and now I am ambidextrous. I didn’t save my eggs at 19, yet I overcame infertility challenges and became a mother at 40. Cancer has taught me to open my heart to the future with trust and optimism.

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What I received in an email this afternoon.

Dear Ms. Chew:
Thank you again so much for your submission to our “Picture Your Life After Cancer” photo gallery. The response has been tremendous, with over 800 photos already collected. Now we want to share with you the exciting news that your submission to the feature has been selected for publication in a book to be published next year by the American Cancer Society. The book will comprise 200 -250 “Picture Your Life After Cancer” submissions that have appeared on The Times website.

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I just want to share that ANYTHING is possible, especially after cancer, you just have to believe!

In deep gratitude,
Claire

Claire Chew, M.A. Life Transition Coach/Grief Specialist
-Transforming loss and hardships into happiness-

http://www.clairechew.com
http://www.luxepets.com Pet Loss Educator