The Skimbaco lifestyle is about finding joy. Katja states so beautifully that her dream with this site is to inspire others to live life to the fullest. If only we could all remember this on a daily basis. Sometimes, however, it is hard to find your own joy.
A dear friend recently went through surgery and treatment for breast cancer. This friend is normally a very optimistic person who loves to laugh. Her household is one of laughter with a funny spouse and two stellar kids who always find a way to make my friend smile. Her life revolves around family and friends.
Clearly, a Skimbaco lifestyle expert.
Then came breast cancer. While she put on her game face and big girl panties, she faced unforeseen hurdles with a very challenging surgery and recovery. And then the surprise of waking up from not one but two surgeries in one day to find out that she would need chemo. She was in pain, weak and scared.
What could we do to help her find her joy?
Clearly we cannot be responsible for other people’s happiness but as her friend, I was aching. Then, I recalled hearing years before about a cancer patient who found a gift on her doorstep when she got home from each chemo treatment.
I enlisted the help of three other friends and we jointly become The Chemo Fairy. Our goal was not to provide blankets and fuzzy socks but to provide treats that reminded our dear friend of her joie de vivre. Each gift was accompanied by a poem (we found our inner Hallmark card). The gifts were not expensive but very representative of what our friend would buy if she had the energy and mindset to shop. Cute earrings, workout clothes, travel books and giftcards all were purchased with one reason, to help our friend find her joy again.
And guess what? It worked. She posted each gift and poem on Facebook, thanking her fairy. As she recovered and handled the treatments better, she even wrote that she looked forward to chemo days.
So I’m happy to report that we followed Katja’s dream and inspired our friend to live life to the fullest. And, in doing so, we gained joy as well.
How have you spread joy? If you want to help our friend with cancer, read more at Amanda’s Army.
If you would like to guest post, please contact Katja!
Guest post by Andrea Peskind Katz
Andrea Peskind Katz runs Great Thoughts, a lifestyle blog focusing on Great Books and Great Travel. To quote Robert Frost, this website was created to “unite my avocation and my vocation.” After 20 years in high pressure sales, Andrea retired to spend time doing what she loves- hanging with her family, reading good books and enjoying good travel. Andrea is always looking for the next great read and the next great beach or warm locale.
The Skimbaco lifestyle is about finding joy. Katja states so beautifully that her dream with this site is to inspire others to live life to the fullest. If only we could all remember this on a daily basis. Sometimes, however, it is hard to find your own joy.
A dear friend recently went through surgery and treatment for breast cancer. This friend is normally a very optimistic person who loves to laugh. Her household is one of laughter with a funny spouse and two stellar kids who always find a way to make my friend smile. Her life revolves around family and friends.
Clearly, a Skimbaco lifestyle expert.
Then came breast cancer. While she put on her game face and big girl panties, she faced unforeseen hurdles with a very challenging surgery and recovery. And then the surprise of waking up from not one but two surgeries in one day to find out that she would need chemo. She was in pain, weak and scared.
What could we do to help her find her joy?
Clearly we cannot be responsible for other people’s happiness but as her friend, I was aching. Then, I recalled hearing years before about a cancer patient who found a gift on her doorstep when she got home from each chemo treatment.
I enlisted the help of three other friends and we jointly become The Chemo Fairy. Our goal was not to provide blankets and fuzzy socks but to provide treats that reminded our dear friend of her joie de vivre. Each gift was accompanied by a poem (we found our inner Hallmark card). The gifts were not expensive but very representative of what our friend would buy if she had the energy and mindset to shop. Cute earrings, workout clothes, travel books and giftcards all were purchased with one reason, to help our friend find her joy again.
And guess what? It worked. She posted each gift and poem on Facebook, thanking her fairy. As she recovered and handled the treatments better, she even wrote that she looked forward to chemo days.
So I’m happy to report that we followed Katja’s dream and inspired our friend to live life to the fullest. And, in doing so, we gained joy as well.
How have you spread joy? If you want to help our friend with cancer, read more at Amanda’s Army.
If you would like to guest post, please contact Katja!
Guest post by Andrea Peskind Katz
Andrea Peskind Katz runs Great Thoughts, a lifestyle blog focusing on Great Books and Great Travel. To quote Robert Frost, this website was created to “unite my avocation and my vocation.” After 20 years in high pressure sales, Andrea retired to spend time doing what she loves- hanging with her family, reading good books and enjoying good travel. Andrea is always looking for the next great read and the next great beach or warm locale.
