Lung Leavin' Day

A couple of weeks agoI received an email from a man by the name of Cameron Von St JamesWho shared with me his and his families storyNine years agoCameron's wife HeatherWas diagnosed with mesotheliomaA rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestosHeather had just given birth to their daughter LillyAnd during the most exciting time in their livesHeather was given just 15 months to liveAfter surgery to remove her left lungHeather began her journey towards survivalAnd Lung Leavin' Day was bornA name Heather's sister gave the day Heathers lung was removedIn order to lighten the situationThe name stuckAnd now the family celebrate it every yearOn February 2nd
Lung Leavin' Day is about overcoming your fearsThis year is the ninth year of celebrating itThe purpose of this holiday is to encourage others to face their fearsEach year Cameron and Heather and their families gather together around a fire  in their back yardWrite their fears on to a plateAnd smash them in to the fireThey celebrate for those who are no longer hereFor those who continue to fightFor those who are currently going through a tough time in their livesAnd most importantlyThey celebrate life
I was really moved and touched by this storyWhat really stood out to me was the power and strength of the human spiritThe will to live is such an amazing thingThe instinct to survive keeps us goingEven though we may want to give upI can relate to this story a lotOvercoming my own fears is a daily battleAnd the last six months have been especially testingAt my counseling appointment yesterdayMy counselor told me that I am a very determined personI guess I am Although up until nowI only used that determination and stubbornness in a destructive wayBut recently I have been using it as a power for goodTo help myselfAnd others
For the longest timeI didn't care if I lived or diedIn fact I courted deathI would describe it as having a passive death wishNot actively seeking itBut welcoming it all the sameI was more afraid of living than I was of dyingIt seemed the only way out of my situation was to disappearI really believed that was the only viable option
But the will to live is strongEven though you think you don't want to liveIt is always thereI began to fightTo fight for my lifeAnd just like light seeping in to a dark roomI began to get a glimpse of what my life could be likeI began to see that there is life after ED and addictionThat there was more to me than my illnessLittle by littleThings started to improve for meMy depression liftedMy anxiety lessenedI re-gained some weightIt was like inhaling a breath of fresh air after I had been drowning for so longEvery day since then has been one of growth and learningIt's scaryIt's terrifyingIt's overwhelmingIt can be monotonousBoringBut it's also exciting Life affirmingBeautifulAnd heart warmingI am feeling againThe good and the badThe ups and downsThe highs and the lowsIt's a whole new world To feel againTo be present in the momentTo stop running from myselfTo stop hating myself
Overcoming our fears is essential if we want to grow, learn and move forwardI often find that it is the thought of something is a lot scarier than the actual event itself It's the build up to itThe anticipationIt's the constant thinking about it that can cripple meOne thing I have learned in recent timesIs that I am a lot more capable than I thought I wasFear is part and parcel of lifeWe can either let it hold us backOr we can feel the fear and do it anywayFor meIt's baby steps all the wayEverything is new right nowAnd it's scaryBut what is the alternative?Letting feat rule my life?I'm not willing to do that
So I invite you today To take part in Lung Leavin' Day on 2nd FebruaryLet's not let fear run our livesLet's be brave Let's be strongWe can do thisWe can live the life of our dreamsIt is possibleI truly believe that
Thank you Cameron and Heather For bringing this to my attentionFor reminding me that I can face my fearsI wish you a lifetime of happiness and healthAnd Happy Lung Leavin' Day to you!