A Joyful Space

    Y’all. My Mom. She has been ALL IN researching, communicating, going to appointments with me, taking care of me, cooking for me, shopping for me, feeding me, and more. I am so thankful for my team of people supporting me.

    One thing recently that I’ve been thankful for is my mom’s help in adding pieces to my home to make it more the way I want it. I’ll be spending more time in my home than usual, so it’s been nice to continue to invest in my home and make it a space that brings me joy and warmth.

    We’ve been organizing some and adding pieces like a velvet green chair from IKEA for my living room, a shelf in my dining area for my microwave to free up counter space, a shelf for shoes, and a rug and lamp in my room. I really like how things are looking.

    I am also thankful for my friend Jacquel who builds and paints canvases for wall decorations. She is working on making a piece for one of the walls in my living room. Really all the love I have received through care packages, letters, and meals have also contributed to my home, the space in which I will be spending more time than usual, being a joyful and warm space for me. Not to mention all the people who come spend time with me that add joy and warmth. I’m thankful for my friends here in Memphis. I’m also thankful for my family who had a zoom call back in January specifically to plan out when everyone would be visiting me. And all the people who have contributed to my gofundme have put my mind at ease when it comes to thinking about financial burdens.

    I have no words to thank all the people who make up my amazing team. I was reading words from someone who is now 2.5 years after being diagnosed with breast cancer. She wrote that when she was first diagnosed she realized “it’s a race you're running but completely blindfolded. You can’t see the end but you trust with all your heart in your team of doctors to get you there. You have so many cheering for you in person, online, and not seeing doesn’t matter anymore because you hear the cheers the entire way.” That resonated with me. I wish I could see the end but I can’t. And really, all the encouragement, love, and support is carrying me.

    So, not only is my physical home feeling like a joyful space, but internally I have joy. I’m not talking about joy in terms of happiness. Things that bring me joy often do make me happy. But, when I write about having joy internally, I’m not saying that I always feel happy. Rather, I feel hopeful. Thank you to everyone who is cheering me on and reminding me to remain hopeful.