On March 20, I wrote an essay titled “Diary of a Cockeyed Optimist.” It seemed apt: I have always looked for the brightness, for the hope, and for the upside in any situation. But I don’t live in a cocoon and it’s been increasingly difficult to maintain that sunny disposition. When the reality of the pandemic filtered through my rose-colored glasses I knew I needed my optimism more than ever.
A few days after I wrote that first essay, I bought diaryofacockeyedoptimist.com. The idea was to create a space where I could write for writing’s sake, practice storytelling, and explore my passions in addition to my usual travel content. It would basically be a brain dump and would keep me busy, keep me writing. It would give me hope and, possibly, help me inspire.
But, like many, many others, my ability to function at my normal levels skipped a few months.
I was getting back into the swing of things, being productive, being Type A, and then last month I went to the doctor for what I thought was a routine checkup. Nope. In addition to a few other health issues I’ve discovered in the last few weeks, I also found out I have breast cancer.
Great.
SO, no more procrastinating. I’m launching this brain dump because I’ve been writing to preserve my sanity and I need an outlet. I haven’t been and won’t be writing solely about the little c because I am NOT going to let it define me. However, this is a huge change and a lot to process. By writing here, both about my health as well as other thoughts, I can share my words as well as keep my friends and family updated. While I’ve posted a bit on Facebook, some loved ones don’t use that platform. This way I can let everyone know what’s up.
This will be my diary, and I’m opening the pages to you. If you want to read it, subscribe below and you’ll get an email when I publish a new post.
Thanks for your support, love, and friendship.
Theresa