Isn’t this beautiful? I went on a walk with my mom this morning to get some Vitamin D. I think all that juicing gave me a burst of energy. Almost to the top of the mountain is a large metal cross….and it’s lit up every night so you can see it for miles. My friend Mollie hikes to the top and leaves Choose Joy bracelets…..she sends me texts when she is up at the top…..I need binoculars so that I can wave to her. The Choose Joy bracelets disappear when she leaves them. I love that. I’ll be back up there some day soon leaving my own bracelets for others to take.
The last time I walked around our neighborhood I was trying to stretch out my ligaments……not knowing that the pain was a tumor growing through my uterus. I thought I was pregnant and I’d sneak a glance of my growing belly in the windows of the stores on El Paseo. I remember thinking that my belly was growing much faster than I thought it should. It took so much effort to get out of bed and even to sit up straight in a chair. Walking seemed to make it feel a bit better…..so I’d force myself to walk every morning. Eventually we’d learn that there was no baby…..and I’d get painkillers to help me through the day. I would have never believed that I would have an hysterectomy or be diagnosed with cancer. Of course I also thought my dad would live to be 104 years old….and why not, his grandmother lived to be 104…..and she was the checker champion at her nursing home too. Never in a million years. I truly thought I was invincible. Funny how God can humble you in a second.
I was sitting in chemo the other day and a young woman was there for her first time and I was overhearing her anxiety. I kind of sat in my own little world for a bit thinking that I didn’t have the energy to talk to anyone at that moment….with my blinders on. I looked over across the room and she looked kind of hesitantly at me, like maybe I wasn’t so friendly, and that’s all it took for me to give her a huge smile back. That’s all it takes. Just a smile…..and then a “how are you?” It’s not that hard. Make eye contact. Be friendly. Smile. Spread joy.
I love your “choose joy” motto. You are an inspiration! We are doing our best to choose joy each day by giving thanks during our #365thanks project. Stopping to give thanks each day definitely reminds us that we are blessed. Have a great day!
You are such an inspiration!! You are in my prayers!!
God Bless you, Ashley 🙂
Yes, “choose joy”, but also “SPREAD JOY”! Love it!
Ashley – you truly are an incredible woman, a messenger to remind us that we have the ability and dare I say, the responsibility to CHOOSE JOY. You are a walking testimony of God’s grace. Thank you for challenging us all to make the choice…to choose joy <3
I’m not saying this just to say it… So often we tell people “I’m praying for you” when we’re really not. Of course we have the best of intentions when we say it. I say it. I feel bad when I say it and am really not praying for the person. In complete honesty, I have been praying for you. Every night, I read with my one year old, then we pray. Even if he falls asleep while I’m reading, I still pray out loud. I pray for you and my high school youth pastor who also has cancer. I pray for both of you. A close friend and a stranger tho I say your name as if I know you:). And my prayer is the same for you both. I pray that your bodies would remain strong during treatment, that the chemo will wipe out the cancer cells in your bodies, that you will be brought back to good health, that you both would have many more years with your young daughters and spouses. I pray for you as a sister in Christ. I needed to tell you that, just in case you ever felt that people are just merely saying they’re praying for you when they’re not. People are praying for you!
-Carly
Ok I loved this blog today Ashley 🙂 you take care and I am praying for you still. You help a lot of people not just about fighting cancer you are a very special young woman.
Praying for you. Joy is a choice.
Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give. – Eleanor Roosevelt
Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass…
It’s about learning how to dance in the rain.
– Vivian Greene
Thanks for sharing a little bit of you with us and for choosing joy !
You are amazing!
I have my whole family wearing your bracelets….you are such an inspiration to me…
You have helped me to see that it’s just the little things that make life joyful. Even in the face of uncertainty and pain you manage to make me smile and be joyful. Thank you.
Your amazing Ash- i just read this post and chills went up my spine. Thank you for being so inspirational.
xoxoxoox
I don’t know how many times I’ve thought about typing you something and then didn’t because I figure you have enough to read and to keep you busy. (plus I am honestly just not one who usually leaves comments) I know I have read it on here a lot……but I just have to say it again…..you are truly an inspiration! I have followed your blog on and off for about a year…and honestly I don’t follow other blogs, but I have always enjoyed your posts/crafts/clothing. But your story and how you are handling it is truly something that is touching alot of lives in a good way. So many people in this world let something small and trivial affect thier attitude for the day and here you were dealt quite a few blows and still are beautifully positive. I am praying for your recovery. Thank you for being you. Your positive attitude sticks with a person through out the day and I am sure it is spreading nationwide!
I am miming everyone on here by saying you are a true inspiration. I have somewhat debilitating anxiety (nothing compared to what you are going through of course) but if you can Choose Joy everyday then I sure can! I just ordered the bracletts to reminde me. Bless you and your family.
I will make it a point to Spread Joy today….hopefully everyday! Thank you.
Beautifully written Ashley. I think at some point in everyone’s life we think we are invincible and something that happened to someone else would never happen to us. I just attended a funeral yesterday for a 38 year old man who was one of my husbands best friends. They attended medical school together and we were fortunate enough to stay friends with them for many years. He left behind a young family, many friends and family members, and also many patients of his that will greatly miss him. He was a pain management doctor and left many pain free. After experiencing this great loss, which I still feel like I am waiting to wake up from a dream, I truly feel blessed to be alive and be able to see my children grow and have a family of their own. You are an inspiration to many, myself included, and I am waiting a little before I send some choose joy bracelets to my dear friend and her little girls. Thanks as always Ashley.
Ashley
I think of you so often throughout my day. My oldest girl is Boo’s age so I have tracked with you and her since I first found your blog about bean bags through Crafty Crow years ago. Your story has truly astounded me and I have been so encouraged to hear how God is sustaining you through all the trials He’s allowed to come your way over the last year.
I’m praying that Christ’s nearness to you would be greater and more tangible in this trial in such a way that it would overcompensate for all the loss you’ve sustained. I am certainly praying for full healing for you, Ashley and for Christ to give great courage to Boo, your husband and all of us as we watch what God will do alongside you.
I’m on it!!
I sometimes lose my breath reading your posts, I just see so many parallels in our lives. I lost my dad to cancer about 16 mo ago, it was a very short two month battle. Many times it has taken my breath away missing him and I still well up with tears on occasion when I miss him. Last summer was one year after his death and we took our kids to Palm Desert (they just need a good pool) and it was honestly on of the best trips we’ve had as a family. I remember seeing that hiking trail when we were there, now I wish we hiked it! Even though it was a tough season with my dad dying, it was an intimate and beautiful time with our family. But as I sit here today I am SO grateful to have gone through that because our life as a family is so much
richer. It changed my whole perspective on everything, not that I was ever miserable before, but I never lost a best friend until I lost my dad. Now for our family my marriage is better, we have slowed down to enjoy each other more and we really make a conscious effort to encourage each other and treasure each day with our kids. I make more of an effort with cashiers and I love when when I leave and they smile bigger because of our little chit chat. It is easy to get
complacent. I could go on and on. I don’t think life is dramatically different than it was before but my perspective changed and life is so much better when I chose joy. When you get through this trial Ashley you will be changed and you are changing so many others in the process!! Thank you and keep fighting and know God will never leave your side:)
Thanks for this reminder, Ash. I have your Choose Joy printable in my kitchen and I love being able to see it many times throughout my day. It is amazing how life can flip a 180 on ya and change everything, but it is in those moments where we decide how we will deal with it. You, my dear, are dealing with things so exceptionally and you impress and inspire me everyday!
how very true Ashley…..just a smile can make someone’s day a lot brighter….
glad you were able to get out and take a walk with your mom and absorb some good old vitamin D! Sunshine is GREAT!!
enjoy your day ♥
Wow! Once again you put it all into perspective. Thanks!
I have chills!!!
Thank You.
Thanks for the great reminder as always! And also remembering to Spread Joy….I’m gonna do it!! Hugs from Texas!
I met my friend for coffee at Starbucks today and she had her Choose Joy bracelet on that I gave her. She said she was having a crappy day yesterday and looked down and saw the bracelet…she did what she needed to do, all day, in order to Choose Joy! 🙂 She told me that her day was better because of the bracelet “reminder.” Me and my friends LOVE the bracelets. Sometimes you just need a reminder of what to do. xoxo Thanks!
Once again, you have touched my heart! Thank you!!!
Love, Beth
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. ~ Leo Buscaglia
xo
Such a beautiful post, you have a beautiful heart in the midst of your struggle & pain. I’ve been an on and off reader until recently, I’ve been following what you’ve been going through. I will be praying for you and your sweet family. Hugs friend!
The world needs more people like you. 🙂
I remember going to the surgical oncologist one day and there were about 4 or 5 of us ladies in various stages of breast cancer waiting for an appointment. We started talking and sharing and it was like an impromptu Breast Cancer support group. It never happened again but I really felt like we all needed that special moment together. 🙂 It just takes a minute to break the ice and create a memory. My daughters and I always have looked forward to your blog posts and we feel like you’re one of our good friends. We are all here in Texas praying for your complete healing and choosing joy. Love the cross story. I’ll have to post my cross poem on my blog for you to read.
I LOVE how you make everything seem so simple. You take nothing for granted & even before you were sick you didn’t then. A true inspiration you are. I think of you everyday & wish for only the best results.
xo Tiff
I love, love, love the last line of this post….
That’s all it takes. Just a smile…..and then a “how are you?” It’s not that hard. Make eye contact. Be friendly. Smile. Spread joy.
Thank you Ashley for taking the time to share every day and remind us to Choose Joy and Spread Joy! I have so much to be thankful for an yet most days I need you to kick me in the butt and remind me. I am ordering a bracelet now! I went to before and they were sold out so I waited. I need to wear it and never forget. I know that you are going to be OK and I am so thankful for your BLOG!
Take Good Care. You are in my prayers always.
Cindy
You are truly an inspiration! Thank you for sharing your words and your journey. I can’t begin to imagine what you have been going through but your blog posts are anything but pessimistic-what a brave person to share so much with the world. I have been truly touched by each post. I pray that every day you become a little stronger in mind and body and that you will defeat this! Thank you so much for being the strong person that you are!
When mundane things stand between me and what ‘really matters’, I look down at my wrist, to my beautiful bracelet and my eyes immediately shift to realize that ‘choose joy’ is what makes it all better. Thank you for being you… 😉
((((((((((healing energy)))))))))) to you, beautiful person… 😉
xo
Vanessa
love this post, i love walks, beautiful mountains and the cross and that it means one day we will be saved from the pain of this life. No more hurt, no more sadness, no more having to leave each other. I pray for your complete and total healing everyday Ashley.
Ashley,
I clicked to your blog tonight from eighteen25. My, have I been blessed. My kids are in bed, my husband is hunting and I have been soaking up all your joy and goodness here. You surely have been given a cross to bear, haven’t you? But you do so with such a grace and humor. There have seriously been times I’ve laughed out loud with tears in my eyes, reading your posts. What an inspiration!
Something else I’ve noticed, just quickly. You are a wonderful mom and you HAVE a wonderful mom. You are sandwiched between blessings that never cease. Seeing how your mom encourages and loves on you is so special. And those eyes of your daughter? What love and perfection, made in His image!
I will be praying for you and your dear family. I am going to pray for full recovery, complete healing and peace in the process. In Jesus name, let’s choose joy.
Carly Winborne
Clinton, MS
PS: I know how to crochet!!! I wish I lived near you, I’d come sit with you and teach you everything I know. We could crochet, knit, sew and everything! Do you smock? May be more of a southern thing, but hey, we could try it all! Keep trying with the crocheting thing, though. It’s been one of the most fun hobbies I’ve ever learned to do…instant gratification, which works well for my OCD-ness sometimes!
That’s all. Have a restful night. Meditate on this one: Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God.”
Praying for you ….
I’ve sat in those chemo rooms with my husband…its been 2 years ago but I still remember our anxiety and the anxiety on everyones faces….you are right a smile makes all the difference. My husband some how would always find the strength to strike up conversation with as many people in that room as he could, we would leave the treatments with a new friend made each time, it was a hard season but choosing Joy is the right choice GOD BLESS YOU !
Today while looking at pinterest I ran into some lil blue pins..my four year old asked me what I was doing I said looking at lil blue boo stuff..she asked who is lil blue boo..I showed her a picture of boo and my daughter said…ohhhh she is beautiful… then I showed her boos tinkerbell house and she was very impressed…she asked if she could go play with boo one day…she totally did not get that boo lives very far away and that really we are strangers…really though we are just a blink away from being good friends…if you ever want to live it up in the great smokey mountains of Tennessee boo has a friend waiting and so do you…if Mr boo is interested in fishing well I guess he has a friend too..my husband can show him all the good places
I am not sure how I stumbled upon, or got linked to your blog but I am so glad I did. I read you everyday. I love that you are sharing the reality of cancer. I hate that you have it but you are so inspiring and encouraging and so very real. I sat through many a chemo session and doctors appt with my mother in law while she was battling leukemia. I’m not sure anyone can fully understand it till they walk through it. I am amazed and encouraged by your spirit and joy. Thank you for being transparent and real. You remind me to be present where I am and to love fully everyday and for how much I have to be thankful for. I remember that if you can “choose joy” with all of the painful things you have gone through this year and are still going through, than who am I to complain or whine or question my own circumstances. I am praying for your complete healing and for your journey there. God bless you and your family.
I think “Choose Joy” sooooo many times a day because of you 🙂 xxx
i have not been feeling so joyful for the last couple of days, I keep trying to, but then I allow myself to dwell in sadness instead. Not today though, not after your reminder… I will choose JOY today. Thank you! I hope that you are feeling strong and well today, you are truly an inspiration. t.xooxoxoox
I’ve been reading all this time but not commenting. However, I just have to say that I have adopted your “choose joy” motto while we have been going through some really difficult financial stuff lately. You have reminded me to be grateful for the good health of my family and to let God deal with the hard stuff. I frequently have my blinders on, for whatever reason, and your words are encouraging. I suppose you have to choose joy before you can spread joy. Thank you for sharing your journey so openly.
Thanks for this inspirational post Ashley. My mom died two days ago and I needed your wisdom.. …God’s perfect timing, right! XO
If everyone chose joy the world would be such a happier place!
You are so sweet Ashley!
You are a beautiful light, you are you are. I am going to listen to you!
Ashley, it’s so true what you say about the smile. I tend to walk around in my own little world and I’m always deep in thought about the next thing I need to do or place I need to go, etc. Then I get where I’m going and I feel kind of shy or cranky or just wishing I were at home in my own little cocoon and I keep my head down and my eye on the road (or grocery aisle.) Years ago, I decided to try looking up, catching someones eye and giving a big smile. I found that you actually can make someones day! They almost always smile back, often times will say hey, or interact in some positive way and it always makes me feel more connected and more in the moment. I find it also to be true that when someone takes the time and energy to look at me and grant a smile It really does make a difference on my outlook for the whole day. What happens is that, YOU CHOOSE JOY!