Poems

Today I'm just going to post two poems written by Christine Pechera. She is an amazing, beautiful and talented girl who has been all over the news as she courageously battles non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Her story was brought to our attention shortly after Joe was diagnosed. Today Christine is 59 days out from undergoing a risky partial-match bone marrow transplant. Despite a long a desperate search, she was unable to find a perfect match. She is still fighting though, and taking joy in living life, even as she is healing. Her story is so inspiring. Her poems speak volumes...

How Beautiful is this Life and how Blessed Am I aka I Thanked the Illness

There was a time when I could smell the blossom of a Rose,
When I could feel the warmth of the Sun on my skin,
When I could hear the Laughter of children

But then one day my whole life collapsed underneath me,
And I began to fall.
It became dark. It became painful.
It became lonely.
I curled up into myself and cried and said,

"I just want to die."

My subconscious Mind heard me,
And my Body said,

"Okay."

And soon the illness came.

When the illness came, I feared it.
I didn't know it was to become my greatest Teacher.

It showed me the Love of Family, Friends and Strangers
That I couldn't see before.
It revealed the Beauty and Presence of God,
Living and Vibrating all around Me.
It gave me Gratitude for this so very brief Gift of Time on this Earth
And it taught me to say,

"Thank You, for I am Alive."

I thanked the illness for coming and teaching me these things.

It nodded,
and then
went away.

So now today,
I can see the Soul in the Blossom of a Rose
I can feel the Power of the Sun within Me
And I can Laugh like a Child again.

The illness taught me how Precious is each Moment,
How Beautiful is this Life,
And how Blessed Am I .

November 2003
Christine Pechera

No matter the outcome(An open letter to my loved ones and caregiver)

I know you're scared. I'm scared too.
But no matter the outcome, I will always love you.

You tell me you don't know what to say.
Don't say anything. Just listen.
You tell me you don't know what to do.
Don't do anything. Just hold me.

No matter the outcome,
I need to know that I am loved.
I need to know that my love is accepted.
I need to see that my life has made a difference in this world.

No matter the outlook,
I need to hear "Everything is going to be alright."
I need to be supported, not smothered.
When I am exhausted or hurting, I need someone to hold onto.
And sometimes I just need time alone.

No matter the outburst,
When I shake with tears don't try to "fix" it.
When fear and frustration lead to shouts and anger, forgive it.
When the trials of the day leave me despondent, acknowledge it.
When I can find humor in the darkness and laugh, enjoy it.

Have courage. Keep faith. Be strong. Don't wait.

And please don't forget to hold my hand.

I know you're scared.
I'm scared too
But no matter the outcome
I will always love you..

Christine Pechera