Blog

December 1, 2020

By Anne Dabbs, 
NCAN TN Chapter Leader, NET Patient

I make lists. I am really good at making lists. I delight in crossing items off of my lists. I make lists so that I can make plans.

I had made big plans and then Neuroendocrine Cancer happened. Some of the items on my lists will not get crossed off. So I made new lists and new plans have followed.

I made plans and then 2020 happened. Lots of items did not get crossed off my lists this year. Some of those lost plans won’t really be missed. Others, I am still grieving.

So, I made a “Naughty and Nice” list for 2020. It was an afternoon well spent, because I found, tucked away among the missed opportunities and failed plans, that many nice events indeed did happen in 2020. I no longer want to erase this crazy year from my life story. The pain and sadness I have experienced has allowed me to take inventory of my values. Repeatedly during this past year, I was reminded, once again, to celebrate small joys as much as the giant happy moments.

Now, I will begin to make my lists and plans for 2021. In a world with so many current unknowns, I want to make sure I include items which I know are obtainable.

A sign hanging in my local oncologist’s office offered these tidbits which really spoke to me. I hope you will consider making them part of your To-Do List for 2021.

1). Laugh every day—it is like inner jogging.
2). Silence is often misinterpreted, but never misquoted.
3). Faith is the ability to not panic.
4). Do the math—Count your blessings
5). A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.
6). We do not remember the days, but the moments.
7). Nothing is real until you experience it; otherwise it is just heresay.
8). It is alright to sit on your pitty potty every now and then; just make sure you flush when you are finished.
9). There is no key to happiness. The door is always open.
10). Surviving and living your life requires courage. The goals and dreams you are speaking require courage and risk taking. Learn from the turtle, it only makes progress by sticking its neck out.

Happy New Year and Happy List Making from all of us at the Net Cancer Awareness Network. Here’s to a very “nice” 2021!

For more bits of wisdom for your list, check out Inspiration Corner.

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Disclaimer: NCAN blog posts are the opinions of its writers and are not intended as a replacement for medical advice. Please consult your Health Care Providers for individual concerns.