Tag Archives: gratitude

July Update

Posted on July 4, 2018 by susanbriscoe

It is already July, and the lilies are blooming! I had hoped to enjoy some chemo-free months this summer, but it seems that is not to be. My disease is progressing quickly again, so I will be starting the second … Continue reading →

Posted in Updates | Tagged cancer, chemotherapy, death and dying, flowers, garden, gratitude, summer, terminal illness | 19 Comments

My Article in the Huffington Post!

Posted on March 9, 2018 by susanbriscoe

I’m pretty thrilled to have this piece in Huffpost Personal published today! Yesterday, International Women’s Day, was the anniversary of my surgery, but the conversation I recount in the first paragraph of this article happened exactly a year ago today. How’s … Continue reading →

Posted in On Dying and Living, Other Stuff | Tagged cancer, death and dying, diagnosis, gifts, gratitude, life, love, terminal illness | 17 Comments

On Travel

Posted on February 22, 2018 by susanbriscoe

When I returned from London in December, I was unwell and sure I would not travel again. Yet here I am on a plane somewhere, perhaps over Florida, on my way to Costa Rica. Last year Roy and I had … Continue reading →

Posted in On Dying and Living | Tagged death and dying, giving, gratitude, guilt, life, receiving, terminal illness, travel | 41 Comments

A Video Conversation with the Incomparable Lesley Everest

Posted on November 29, 2017 by susanbriscoe

Lesley Everest, a cherished old friend who is a minister, transformation companion, and doula –in addition to being a miraculous cancer survivor, amazing mom, and extraordinary person– has honoured me with this interview, the first on her brand new site, … Continue reading →

Posted in Other Stuff | Tagged cancer, death, dying, gifts, gratitude, grief, hope, loss, writing | 3 Comments

On Flowers

Posted on November 10, 2017 by susanbriscoe

The best part about being ill is the flowers. I received so many flowers from well-wishers after my surgery last winter and then for months afterwards, until the spring offered its own bounty outside the window. The flowers truly brightened … Continue reading →

Posted in On Dying and Living | Tagged cancer, death, flowers, gratitude, grief | 12 Comments

Ask Me Anything Repost: Oliver’s Answers

Posted on October 25, 2017 by susanbriscoe

Here are Oliver’s answers to the questions a class of college students in a course called Death and Dying had for him about his mom being near death. I was so proud of his courage, generosity, and thoughtfulness in writing … Continue reading →

Posted in Ask Me Anything! | Tagged advice, cancer, death, dying, family, gratitude, grief, life, loss, pain, terminal illness | 3 Comments

Ask Me Anything #10: Staying Positive

Posted on October 24, 2017 by susanbriscoe

This is the last question from the college class, and it’s an important one. How do you stay positive? Don’t you ever think this is unfair, or ask why me? I do believe that our attitudes are, to a considerable … Continue reading →

Posted in Ask Me Anything! | Tagged attitudes, death, dying, gifts, gratitude, grief, terminal illness | 7 Comments

Ask Me Anything #7: Bucket List

Posted on October 21, 2017 by susanbriscoe

(This “ask me anything” answer is in response to a class of young college students’ questions.) Do you have a bucket list? No! I’ve always disliked not only the term, but the whole idea. The only things I really wanted … Continue reading →

Posted in Ask Me Anything! | Tagged bucket list, death, dying, gratitude, life, terminal illness | 3 Comments

Ask Me Anything #2: Preparing

Posted on October 16, 2017 by susanbriscoe

(This “ask me anything” answer is in response to a class of young college students’ questions.) How are you preparing yourself? At first I had to “put my affairs in order,” which means writing or updating a will (which should … Continue reading →

Posted in Ask Me Anything! | Tagged cancer, death, gratitude, terminal illness | 4 Comments

Ask Me Anything #1! Initial Reactions

Posted on October 15, 2017 by susanbriscoe

Kelly McKinney, a teacher at John Abbott College in Montreal, recently asked me if I would participate in her Humanities course called Views on Death and Dying. We went with an “ask me anything” format, so the students sent me … Continue reading →

Posted in Ask Me Anything! | Tagged cancer, gratitude, grief, terminal illness | 2 Comments

October Update

Posted on October 13, 2017 by susanbriscoe

I haven’t written here in a while, mostly because we had a long bout of fantastically sunny, summery weather, making it impossible to sit in front of my laptop, and then I had a wonderful week in the Baltic visiting … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged cancer, gifts, gratitude, grief, terminal illness, writing | 14 Comments

Roy’s Blog: The eye of the storm

Posted on September 27, 2017 by susanbriscoe

Roy wrote this post that perfectly expresses the strange in-between state we are in with this cancer thing. I was going to write about this time of relative wellness, but he has done it for me with just the right … Continue reading →

Posted in Roy's Blog: The Long Goodbye | Tagged cancer, death, dying, gifts, gratitude, terminal illness, time | 2 Comments

On Grief, the Shadow of Joy

Posted on September 16, 2017 by susanbriscoe

I noticed this morning that I had labeled the front of my journal Summer 2016. I don’t write very regularly, so the notebook still isn’t filled, even at the end of Summer 2017. Curious about what I was thinking last … Continue reading →

Posted in On Dying and Living | Tagged death, dying, gratitude, grief, imagination, terminal illness | 6 Comments

Guest Post by Oliver

Posted on September 8, 2017 by susanbriscoe

My son Oliver and I recently accepted an invitation to answer some “ask me anything” questions from a class of college students in a course called Death and Dying. Here are Oliver’s answers to the questions they had for him … Continue reading →

Posted in Ask Me Anything! | Tagged advice, cancer, death, dying, family, gratitude, grief, life, loss, pain, terminal illness | 10 Comments

On Giving Gifts

Posted on August 23, 2017 by susanbriscoe

I have written here before about receiving gifts, and of the sweetness of gratitude. I do believe that gratitude is one of the cornerstones of happiness. But lately I’ve been thinking even more of giving gifts, of what I want … Continue reading →

Posted in On Dying and Living | Tagged cancer, death, dying, gifts, giving, gratitude, grief, loss, self-doubt, terminal illness, writing | 21 Comments

On More Time

Posted on August 19, 2017 by susanbriscoe

(Please note this post was written last August. Sometimes I write things and don’t get around to publishing them. Some of the information here is related to that time only.) Time is a strange thing, and our relationship with it is … Continue reading →

Posted in On Dying and Living | Tagged death and dying, gratitude, grief, terminal illness, time | 20 Comments