I don't have a green thumb!

I spoke to my Dr today at the Cancer center and one thing that she suggested that I do for my skin while having radiation is to buy an ALOE plant, and each day after radiation to cut off a piece  and rub the gel on the whole area that was radiated. She said that it really should help my skin from burning and blistering.  I called quite a few places and they didn't have any in yet, it is a bit too early in the season they said. So I decided to call my dear friend and neighbor who DOES have  green thumb, and ask her where she thought I could get it?  Low and behold before I even got home this evening she and her husband had already purchased one for me and brought it to me. What a life saver!

Now I have to admit something and I mine as well do it right now. When my kids were little I had read somewhere that the Aloe plant was great for healing many things and so I picked one up at the store. For the next couple of years if my kids had a cut or burn I would cut off a piece of the leaf and rub it on their sores. Many times they would complain saying that it didn't feel very good, my reply was always " maybe it doesn't feel good but, it is good for you... so put it on there!"  I patted myself on the back for learning more natural ways to help heal my kids.

Then one day a friend of mine was over visiting and  Lauren got burnt on something, with that girl...who knows what or how it happened? :). Anyway, I went over to my trusty plant and cut off a piece and tried to squeeze something out of it so that I could put it on Lauren. Sometimes the plant didn't seem to have juice that I thought it should have, but I squeezed and squeezed just the same... until something came out. As I was putting it on her, she had the same complaint and I had the same reply. When Lauren left, my friend ( who has a green thumb ) asked my why I was putting that plant on Lauren?  I gave her the whole explanation about the Aloe plant to which she gave me a dumbfounded look, then her classic comment came.  " Lynn, that is an African Violet Plant, not an Aloe Plant, no wonder it doesn't have much gel and doesn't feel very good!"   I couldn't believe it, I told her that I thought it was an Aloe plant, and if it was an African Violet, then why didn't it bloom so I would know?"  She said, "it didn't bloom probably because you keep cutting off the leaves!" We had a great laugh and I was grateful that the African Violet Plant wasn't poisonous or something like that :)  Motherhood, it isn't as easy as it looks!  The next day she arrived with a REAL ALOE PLANT and then I realized that they really didn't look that much a like after all, not sure how I made that mistake maybe it is because they both started with the letter A ? Scary huh?

So today I have tried to stay busy, my mind is very anxious about tomorrow, I am sure it is because I am going to step out into the unknown and that can be scary. It will be fine and I am sure that there are many things to be learned along the way.

I was able to stop and visit for just a minute a few old friends today and that was great. I just sorta dropped out of life from October on, many people didn't even know that I was battling cancer again. I am sooooo blessed to have soooooo many dear friends. Thank you for your friendship.

I will report back tomorrow.

"It is a basic principle of spiritual life that we learn the deepest things in unknown territory. Often it's when we feel most confused inwardly and are in the midst of our greatest difficulties that something new will open. We awaken most easily to the mystery of life through our weakest side. The areas of our greatest strength, where we are the most competent and clearest, tend to keep us away from the mystery." 
-Jack Kornfield