The Hallway

Many of you know that my BFF, MJ, was recently diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. Although it has thankfully not metastasized, it’s nevertheless a fast-growing, aggressive tumor that needs to be treated with four months of heavy chemo followed by surgery and several more months of chemo + radiation. One of the first questions her oncology team asked her  was if she had a support system. As love and support are keys to healing, her resounding yes was music to their ears. If you know MJ, you know her team didn’t need to ask their second question: “How do you handle adversity?” They’d already spent several hours with her and couldn’t help but marvel at her positive spirit.

“In life when one door closes, another door always opens…but the hallways are a bitch.” ~Ronnie Kaye

MJ and I talked about her “hallway” and how during her treatment it would feel like mean kids were slamming her up against the locker and tripping her as she headed to class. She clearly knows this year is going to be a bitch, yet her mantras are “we got this,” “eye on the prize,” and “cancer fears me.”

What prize is at the other end of your hallway: your divorce, financial setback, addiction, illness…? What are the things you say or do to help you get through it? How does your yoga practice influence your ability to handle those mean kids?

(For updates on MJ’s status, please visit her CaringBridge site. And her IOY/OBX² Positivity Workshop summary has some great tips on staying positive through adversity.)