As I become stronger, I am reclaiming bits of my former self by pondering how to rebuild my life and label the process: Recovery, Reconstruction, Remodeling, or Renovation.
Many think of my journey with cancer as a path to recovery. Recovery has come to bear connotations associated with overcoming addictions. My situation differs. I used to believe recovery was a passive process that occurs while lying in bed waiting until health magically returns to its former state.
Reconstruction connotes restoring as perfectly as possible to the previous condition. I emerge from the episode of illness the same as before the onset.
Remodeling constitutes reshaping the original using same or similar materials, a bit of polishing and some rearrangements resulting in a more convenient or agreeable environment.
Renovation differs from the above in not simply returning to a former condition, but rather by “making new” being actively involved in the process. This means thinking myself back to before this illness, examining each component of my persona for aptness to a new vision of “me” including “keepers” and discarding unwanted or unnecessary parts, re-creating each facet of my health, physical and spiritual being. The Katrina survivors of New Orleans’s 9th ward know a lot about this process.
One big “keeper” is my experience of your overwhelming support and expressions of caring concern that will be part of me always.
NOTE: Future blog postings will occur weekly on either Thursday or Friday unless events dictate an “extra edition.”
Copyright 2008
www.lindalater.blogspot.com
Posted November 7, 2008
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
