A close friend of mine has recently been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, one of these rare and particularly scary types of cancer that galvanizes one’s full attention. Here’s a quote she shared with me this morning from a book she’s reading:

"A diagnosis of cancer is a personal encounter with the will to live… the impulse toward wholeness and integrity that is buried in the heart of every living thing."

My friend, who has stepped up to this challenge with incredible
courage, has articulated her ‘impulse towards wholeness and integrity’
in a number of ways. One of which is a great deal of consciousness
about her physical surroundings, making sure her home feels truly
harmonious and reflects the integrity and beauty of her inner life, as
well as the specificities of her history and ‘place’ in the world.
Another is to bring out all those beautiful things she owns and display
or use them, rather than keep them safely stored for ‘special’ times.

In the threat of death, she’s discovered the secret of life … to
give herself up to life fully; to look for & experience the
wholeness and harmony in every moment.

She’s never been more beautiful.