It was good to \u201cSpring Clean\u201d my soul with you last week and sit in the darkness of lent.\u00a0 Today I\u2019m equally excited to share the bright \u201caha moment\u201d I experienced while spring cleaning my house.<\/span><\/p>\n You know those tasks that pile up in the corner and you say to yourself, \u201cI\u2019ll get to that one day <\/span>when I have time<\/span><\/i>.\u201d I am slowly learning that as a mom of 3 young kids, time never just comes with a welcoming smile. Nope, I have to intentionally wrangle time into prioritized spaces, which the past couple weeks was decluttering.<\/span><\/p>\n As I was putting away half a year’s worth of my kids\u2019\u00a0 favorite artwork my heart smiled. I love the playfulness, fearlessness, and creativity of my 5 year old twins\u2019 creations; unafraid of getting it \u201cwrong\u201d they created unconventional and prolific works of art. But, working my way through this monumental stack of masterpieces I wondered, <\/span>How am I ever going to keep up with this year after year?! <\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span>They\u2019re still so young! So much artwork yet to come.<\/span><\/i> And then I noticed: where\u2019s my 9 year old\u2019s art? I realized, she only had 4 pieces of art to file. Four.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n There\u2019s several reasons why her creative juices aren\u2019t flowing as freely as in past years. One is that she’s become a perfectionist and prudently practical. I taught her that, unfortunately, and now as I unteach myself I\u2019m trying to do the same with her because I\u2019ve learned in recent years, perfectionism and practicality kill creativity.<\/span><\/p>\n Five years ago she wanted to be an artist when she grew up. I discouraged it. Art is a hobby. \u201cYou need to be practical,\u201d I told her, \u201cvery few people can make a living doing art.\u201d I educated her and pressed her to find a different answer to \u201cwhat do you want to be when you grow up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Then brain cancer entered my life and I realized having a reputable profession and earning a good predictable salary was <\/span>not <\/span><\/i>the meaning of life.\u00a0 And shame on me for squashing my child\u2019s impractical dream and her artist heart. I promptly connected with a friend of a friend and took her to create art at this woman\u2019s personal studio. This artist encouraged us to push the paint around and play with it to see what would happen.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Now nine years old, my daughter\u2019s immersed in the world of reading, thriving in math and will be academic, no doubt. I\u2019m excited my girl is growing up and learning and thinking complexly – it\u2019s incredible and thrilling to watch; but, what I want most for her is to always remember her little girl heart that wanted to be an artist. I want <\/span>that <\/span><\/i>part to guide her into creativity, imagination and exploring new pathways and frameworks for her entire life. Practicality is indeed important; but I want my daughter to know it’s not the god I made it out to be.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n When all the practicality and prudence in the world isn\u2019t enough and you are left pressed up against a brick wall of the unfairness and impossibility of life (be it a terminal diagnosis at 35 years old like me or some alternate unthinkable unfairness or impossibility), creativity and imagination are vital to empower you to keep pressing forward. It is here – pressed on all sides- that you will not be crushed as long as you stay unafraid of creatively believing in, hoping for and dreaming of an alternate reality. Bessel VanDerKolk, in his groundbreaking book on trauma The Body Keeps the Score<\/span><\/em><\/span>, <\/span>explains it this way, \u201cImagination is absolutely critical to the quality of our lives…Imagination gives us the opportunity to envision new possibilities – it is an essential launchpad for making our hopes come true.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>This <\/span><\/i>is why I want my beautiful daughter to keep her imagination on fire!<\/span><\/p>\n Educated in biochemistry, molecular biology and formerly a pharmacist, I placed (evidence-based) science on a lofty pedestal. I continue to value its importance; but we need both science and the arts to make sense of life! Interestingly, neuroscientist David Eagleman says, \u201cgood science and good art are the same thing. They\u2019re both trying to understand what in the world is going on around us. They just use slightly different approaches to get there.\u201d (1) Furthermore, they piggy-back on one another; the limitations of science can be filled in with the arts and vice versa. <\/span><\/p>\n So, when science\u2019s tool kit ran out for me- I\u2019ve received all proven treatment for glioblastoma- was I going to give up and believe in my 1 year expiry date? Heck no! Rather, I\u2019m engaging my imagination, which is closely linked to my spirituality. As I intentionally create space for quiet and\/or prayer and\/or guided meditation and\/or reflective journaling incredible things happen.<\/span><\/p>\n A month ago I was writing my memoir and reflecting on how being given a terminal diagnosis is, as I\u2019ve alluded to, like being pressed against a brick wall. Science has not yet found a secret passageway through this brick wall. But as I was spending time meditating and praying in my mind\u2019s eye the brick wall became stretchy – like a portal access if I just pushed into it.\u00a0 Believing there was a way through the seeming dead end, with my family by my side, we pushed in and emerged on the other side of the wall. Three years beyond my prognosis, we are living- and thriving in- an impossible alternate reality by collaborating with, what I call, God energy.<\/span><\/p>\n I often reflect on having faith like a child; kids aren\u2019t encumbered with struggling to believe in the impossible. It comes naturally to them. Like when <\/span>my 4 year old daughter voiced in her usual flair, \u201cWhen I grow up I want to be a pegasus!\u201d (2) And her earnestness declared <\/span>I am serious<\/span><\/i>. Similarly, when children see a field of dandelions gone to seed, they excitedly pluck the flowers and blow wishes to the wind. Wishes that we might be inclined, in our adult \u201cwisdom\u201d, to brush aside as impossible. However, I now take a step back to let these little teachers school me in the ways of believing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Furthermore, my wise husband declared a ban last week on the words, \u201cI can\u2019t do it.\u201d This phrase is no longer a part of our family\u2019s vocabulary. Instead he taught our children, try, \u201cthis is hard\u201d or \u201ccould you help me?\u201d. The inherent possibility in these latter statements is a huge shift.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n What impossibility are you wishing for? Then share these reflections with a trusted friend (quickly, before you overthink and lose the courage to believe in the impossible). Let’s be brave together!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0Thank you for journeying with me. Make sure to sign up for blogposts- which include memoir sneak peaks, dropped straight into your inbox – if you haven\u2019t already.<\/span><\/p>\n XOXO <\/p>\n Notes: 2. A pegasus is similar to a unicorn, but it has wings and no horn.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Cleaning House It was good to \u201cSpring Clean\u201d my soul with you last week and sit in the darkness of lent.\u00a0 Today I\u2019m equally excited to share the bright \u201caha moment\u201d I experienced while spring […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":901,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,49],"tags":[50,32,52,51],"class_list":["post-900","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cancer-journey","category-imagination","tag-brain-cancer","tag-glioblastoma","tag-imagination","tag-terminal-illness"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy imagination is so important<\/h2>\n
Reframing “Impossible”<\/h2>\n
\n
It always seems impossible until it’s done.<\/span><\/h2>\n
Nelson Mandela<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n
This spring as dandelions pop up unexpectedly I invite you to reflect on the following:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n<\/span>How can you employ your creativity to get one step closer to making your impossibility possible?<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>Cheryl<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>1. Unlocking Us podcast. Brene Brown with David Eagleman. Aired Dec. 2, 2020.<\/span><\/p>\n