We have all heard the saying if life gives you lemons make lemonade. But what if life gives you limes? Then make a margarita.
I’ll say I’ve been given my share of lemons and limes this year. As if dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis while pregnant wasn’t enough, I also had to deal with the news that I likely (but not definitively) have a brca 1 mutation, which puts me at higher risk for both breast and ovarian cancer. I already was planning a bilateral mastectomy but wasn’t planning the ovary part. But guess the lemons weren’t enough, so life gave me some limes too. But I’ll get through, I like both lemonade and margaritas.
Cancer has meant a lot of adjustments and change of plans. It would be like figuring out what to make with limes when you were expecting lemons.
This last pregnancy was anything but normal, but I had to just go with medical advice I was given and thankfully they were all right and I have a beautiful and healthy baby boy. I had a lot more worries and a lot more appointments than planned but we got our amazing final product at the end. Whether we got our finished product with lemons as planned or limes as given, we got our final drink and it was good.
“It’s ok to fall apart sometimes. Tacos do and we still love them.”
One of the hardest things about this cancer diagnosis is that I thought I was healthy. I worked out, ate pretty good, took care of myself but it didn’t matter. Genetics played a large role and there’s nothing I could do.
There are times I feel broken. I lost my hair, I’m undergoing chemo, you have to be cautious around me so I don’t get sick. And I hate feeling sickly or like the person you need to walk on eggshells around. Despite this fragility, I know I am still loved, even if I’m a little broken now.
It’s also ok to let out your emotions and feel the pain, sadness, anger and frustration that can come up when you feel broken and/or are sick.
It’s ok to cry and let it out. We are all vulnerable, at times more vulnerable that others and things become too much.
And that’s exactly why we must find an outlet. We can try to save that taco filling or meat from falling out of that taco but we can’t keep it all together and it lands on the plate. There’s only so much a taco can hold and there’s only so much we can keep inside before it has to come out.
While these are very cheesy analogies I came up with for Cinco de Mayo, I liked the quotes and found a way to connect them to what I am going through. And appropriately I will be enjoying tacos and margaritas today to celebrate the holiday even if I’m a little broken.
I have learned to make the best of what’s around (great DMB song!) And if today it’s margaritas instead of lemonade, that’s fine. And if my taco breaks that’s ok too. To be able to celebrate is enough.
