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Joys & Sufferings

by Susanna Porter

The ability to feel joy & express gratitude in the face of suffering is what distinguishes the strong soul. This ability defines some of the greatest humans among us. I think of Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Jr., the Dalai Lama, Christopher Reeve & his wife, Michael J. Fox, our own Juliane. Suffering is hard work, it is tiring. I'm not very good at it myself. When my days are black I often forget to look at the bright yellow daffodils in my postage-stamp back yard. Forget to tickle my son so I can hear his delicious laugh. Forget to admire the sun & moon & stars that my best friend painted on the walls of my bedroom in silver & gold. Forget even to swoon over the taste of a See's chocolate melting in my mouth: creamy, sweet, brown sugary goodness. Writing these things down I wonder, how can I forget? My suffering may be hard & tiring, but only I am to blame if I forget the joys of purple.

Susanna Porter is a single mother, sometime teacher, sometime bookkeeper, and frequent writer. Diagnosed with stage 3 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma in August of 2007, she is now thankfully in remission. She has one handsome son, Garrett; a sweet dog, Cody; a great roommate, Carlos; and a host of fabulous friends & family to keep her busy. In her dream life she's a rock 'n roll star. She is grateful to be part of the Breast Cancer Connection's writing group.