I did something for myself that I haven’t done before. I went on a retreat for breast cancer survivors. Having breast cancer has opened up new worlds for me. I never knew such a thing existed before I got breast cancer.

I signed up for the retreat last December. I’d been anxiously waiting to go and finally, five months later, it was time. I didn’t know what to expect, and as I sit here writing this post, I know I won’t be able to convey to you what an extraordinary weekend I experienced.

The retreat was over four days, three nights and held in northern Wisconsin. Though it rained the first day, I didn’t mind. When you have a group of breast cancer survivors together, it doesn’t take long for strangers to become friends.  Despite varying backgrounds and ages, a sisterhood quickly formed among the 14 survivors there. We talked, walked a labyrinth, created crafts, had a pajama party and had “me” time. (I kept to my training schedule!)

One of the first things we did was read a story. It’s a children’s story, called "There’s No Such Thing as a Dragon."  The gist of the story is that you must confront those things that you fear.  Those things that are ignored will only grow and grow and cause destruction. In this story the dragon was being ignored and caused damage in the home, but once acknowledged and touched, the dragon became small and manageable.

At the retreat, I entered a safe haven with other women who are going through and feeling the same thing. Not only were we pampered by the compassionate group leaders and a very talented personal chef, but my psyche was also pampered. If you look up the word "psyche" in the dictionary it means soul, mind, spirit. Psyche. My psyche was pampered. 
 

Words cannot explain to you the gift that this retreat provided me. I went into it with an open mind and an open heart. I tried new things (such as kayaking!) and learned to accept that there are simply no guarantees in life. As much as I want the reassurance that everything will be fine, there are no such guarantees. Do I like that?  Certainly not. But that’s the reality. There are no guarantees in life. Will I still have moments when my dragon gets out of control? Of course. Lots of times, but maybe now I will feel more comfortable about reaching out and touching the dragon to tame it. I came out of the retreat changed somehow.