My Gratitude Circle
“This circle doesn’t close—it expands. Your love lives in me, and I carry it forward with every step. Thank you for walking beside me.”
My Gratitude Circle
When I was diagnosed with cancer, I didn’t know how much I would need others. I didn’t know how deeply love could hold me, how laughter could still echo in hospital rooms, or how strength could be borrowed from the people who refused to let me fall.
This Gratitude Circle is my tribute to the ones who showed up. To my daughter, my friends, my healers, my anchors. You were my light. You are my light.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Gratitude Circle
“You were my heartbeat. Your fierce love, your quiet strength, your laughter—everything.”
Kai (my daughter)“You held space for my fear and reminded me of my strength. Your wisdom was a lighthouse.”
Dr. Shelly J. Ahmann“You brought soup, lunch, dinner, stories, and the kind of silence that heals. I’ll never forget it.”
Stacey Brown“Your prayers wrapped around me like a shawl. I felt them every day.”
Mother Laura Masterson“You made me laugh when I couldn’t breathe. You pushed my wheelchair. You reminded me I was still me.”
Craig“You showed up with playlists, poems, and peppermint tea. You knew what I needed before I did.”
Renee“You treated me with dignity and care. You saw the whole of me, not just the diagnosis.”
Dr. Varun Gupta“You sent letters that felt like hugs. Your words were medicine.”
Jan Williams“You drove me to my appointments and never let me feel like a burden. You were grace in motion.”
Cheryl Thomas“You braided my hair when I couldn’t lift my arms. You made me feel beautiful.”
Stephanie“You broke down the clinical jargon and reassured me that everything would be OK.”
Elaine Patterson“Thank you for always being there and for your constant support"
Faye EllisonWhat I Know ……
By: Dr. Saday Barrett
Family
is not always blood.
Sometimes, it is the ones who choose you,
not the ones who birthed you.
The love of a mother —
the greatest love of all.
The love of a child —
endless, unshaken, unconditional.
Friendship?
It does not take years to prove itself.
A single decisive moment
can outweigh a lifetime of silence.
Jealousy —
worse than betrayal.
And betrayal?
That is a sword,
a wound that cuts deep,
and never fully heals.
A false witness,
especially from kin — vicious.
Hatred — senseless, cruel, blind.
But crying…
crying is medicine.
It is the soul saying: Let me breathe.
And giving,
especially to the needy —
that is pure joy,
the kind of joy no one can take away.
Family incest —
especially one sister to another,
that is heartbreak beyond words.
Faith is the great equalizer.
Love is the purest emotion.
And forgiveness…
forgiveness is the ultimate sacrifice.
Not for them —
for you.
That…
is what I know to be true.