Risorgimento

Risorgimento in Italian means "Rising Again."   It seemed to take a long time but I came to a point when the worst of the flames were behind me, though I could still feel the heat. I felt  vulnerable and unprotected, and I couldn't help but  fear spreading my wings, thinking I might be tempting fate.  I could almost imagine the smell of burning feathers: but there was also a definite surge of energy and a renewed interest in reclaiming my life.  But life as I had known it was gone  -  consumed by the flames of illness, treatment and the aftermath of both.  Relationships had changed, my career path had changed, my body had definitely changed, my priorities had changed, everything had changed.  In a bolt of clarity I realized that surviving cancer had taken but also given, and I felt the tension of being caught between the depression of loss and the joy of knowing  my own strength and potential...