Spring has arrived, new life is sprouting with buds on trees and daffodils planted in tight swathes create a shock of yellow bursting from verges and centre of carriageways leading into Ashford.  It’s spring rising forth, anew.  There is something about connecting with nature that has the ability to bring you into the present moment.  As a woman who recently shifted to five years out from her breast cancer diagnosis and active treatment,  a quiet sigh of relief arose for the five year milestone.

Khevin Barnes who is a male breast cancer activist and survivor, says this, “Cancer has many different degrees of celebration and disappointment, and those of us afflicted learn to live with that—because we have to. Every human life has its ups and downs, challenges and surprises. But in the case of cancer, the outcome has the potential to change many lives, not just our own. All who know us are affected in some way by our cancer story. Our friends and families wait for the news of our survival—news that can literally shift from day to day.”

For me, the spotlight is on the journey of life, rather than outcome.  I’ve learned to focus on the “big picture” as it was. Those of us who have been at this cancer drill for a while understand that we can never know for certain what the outcome of our therapies, programs and procedures will be years down the line, and percentages and graphs can shift one way or the other.

As Khevin states, “There are no actors in the world of cancer, but there are tales of courage and survival that read like great screen plays.  And even if circumstances change the “plot” of our cancer story, at the end of the day, we can never lose our star power. Anyone who wakes up every morning with the drive and commitment to either beat cancer or live masterfully alongside it has earned far more than a mere Oscar. They deserve the “lifetime achievement” award.”

To read more by Khevin Barnes, go to: http://www.malebreastcancersurvivor.com