HAPPY DAY CHERYL

dixchi
dixchi Member Posts: 431
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Just thinkng of you today at your Celebration of Life; if I wasn't way in
Cincinnati, I would be there too. Have a wonderful time and fill us in on
the details later. I visited Vacouver years ago and remember a fantastic
bike ride I took in the beautiful park there.

Comments

  • CherylHutch
    CherylHutch Member Posts: 1,375 Member
    #2
    Thank You, Dixchi!!
    That is so sweet of you.... and I would have welcomed you with open arms, or anyone else, who could join me and my friends tonight to soak up this wonderful energy!! I will find a way of posting the pictures and letting you all get a peek at what tonight is all about! I will probably do a long babble on my blog -- http://ourcheryl.blogspot.com -- which is an ongoing journal since I was first in the hospital in Dec 2006 :)

    I bet I know which park you are referring to! Stanley Park... in the middle of downtown Vancouver. This is my most favourite park anywhere... and it's the park where we have our outdoor theatre in the summer and put on 2 Broadway musicals every summer. This past summer, we did "Annie Get Your Gun" and "Jesus Christ Superstar". Next year we will be doing "Annie" and "Anything Goes".

    I will get back to you all with reports in the next day or so. Right now, my neighbour will be down any minute... she is going to straighten my hair with the flat iron. Then I'll be heading to the theatre (with a stop to pick up some munchies and beverages for the afternoon decorating team and the rehearsal which I'm not allowed to watch ). My decorating team consists of a bunch of gal pals who are driving here from out of town. Since they may not know anyone, I rounded them up and said "WE can decorate the lobby and lounge and by the time we've finished, you will all be old friends, which will make it easier and more comfortable for them tonight" :)

    I'm starting to get excited... although it all seems so surreal right now! I can't imagine a party with 200+ people and I know them all... even my oncologist, Sharlene who is in my picture, is coming to the party!! LOL!

    Huggggggs,

    Cheryl
  • Kanort
    Kanort Member Posts: 1,272 Member
    #3
    An Awesome Tribute!
    How special of you, Dixchi, to remind us of Cheryl's Celebration of Life. It is a wonderful testament to how much she is valued and loved in her community. I am so happy they are honoring her in such a special way. I can't wait to see the photos and hear all the details.

    Hugs,

    Kay
  • CherylHutch
    CherylHutch Member Posts: 1,375 Member
    #4
    Celebration of Life and Friendship
    Hello, everyone! It's been a few days now since I've posted anything and to tell you the truth, it's because I've been trying to catch up on the absolute energy draining, fabulous, amazing, brilliant, caring, supportive night I experienced on Sunday (Oct 19). Seriously, there are absolutely no words that can explain this incredible experience I was blessed to share with friends and family!!!

    Now, don't get me wrong... I have always appreciated my friends and family and have known all along that they've been 100% supportive and caring of me and what I'm going through. I am a firm believer (and no, this is not to, in any way argue religious beliefs) in the power of healing in positive thoughts and energy. Prayer is thought, which is energy. Thoughts are energy. Meditation is energy. Our lives and everything in them consists of energy, so what thoughts and energy you send out, it will be returned tenfold. That brings up the saying, "Be careful what you wish for" because wishes are thoughts which are energy.

    Ok, so having said that... imagine the energy in a 350 seat theatre where approx. 200 friends/family came on a Sunday night to support and be there to Celebrate Life for their friend, Cheryl. Imagine a cast of 20 performers, who are all close friends, and an Emcee who is a friend that I have known since we both were 18 (we are now in our early 50s) ... who put on a tribute show of song and dance for their dear friend, Cheryl? Can you imagine just how much loving, positive energy was in that theatre Sunday night? These were all friends who came from different aspects of my life... friends I've known since high school, friends I've met online, friends who I've worked with over the years, theatre friends, non-theatre friends, family... where the one common thread was their friend or relative, Cheryl. Imagine these 200 friends plus 20 performers mixing and mingling with each other and hearing, "Sooo, how do YOU know Cheryl?" and then watching them talk and chat, even though they did not know each other before this evening?

    Ok.. now, imagine after the show was over and Shel, the Emcee, asked me to come up to the stage to say a few words (of which it never dawned on me to prepare a speech) and I ended up talking from the heart, ad lib. I welcomed everyone to the Celebration, thanked them for coming, and told them that I was only going to get serious for a couple of mins. so that I didn't have to spend the evening telling everyone I talked to how I was doing. I talked about colon cancer, the terror of being diagnosed, the terror of finding more cancer, the treatments from the 8 months of chemo, the 6 weeks of daily radiation, the surgeries, and the side affects... and then said, but look at me?? I am here, healthy, soooo happy, and still searching for the ultimate diet to lose weight . I told them that, yes, I will have more treatments and surgery as we battle the lung stuff... BUT, I'm still happy because how many people can honestly say that they are going to go out on a Sunday night and spend he evening with 200 of their friends??? I then said, "Ok... so you are all up to date with where I'm at, medically speaking... so let's let that go and because it's MY party and it's All About Me, then I get the final say, and I want us all to party, mix and mingle and have the time of our lives, because... WE CAN!!"

    Yes, I got a standing ovation... and then, magic! All 20 performers who were up on the stage, stood up and came to the front of the stage, singing James Taylor's song, "You've Got A Friend". Ok, so the tears of joy started with that... and then everyone in the audience joined in and 220 people were singing:

    You just call out my name,
    And you know wherever I am
    I'll come running, oh yeah baby
    To see you again.
    Winter, spring, summer, or fall,
    All you have to do is call
    And I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
    You've got a friend.

    I am thrilled that my friend, Brian, brought his video equipment and taped the whole show so I will have it on a DVD... meanwhile, if you ant to check out some pictures, you can check out the two blog entries I did today in my blog. Since there was so much to say and so many pictures to post (and no, I didn't post all of them ), there are two entries... Part 1 and Part 2:

    http://ourcheryl.blogspot.com

    Hugggggs,

    Cheryl
  • jenjerandkatesmom
    jenjerandkatesmom Member Posts: 37
    #5
    CherylHutch said:

    Celebration of Life and Friendship
    Hello, everyone! It's been a few days now since I've posted anything and to tell you the truth, it's because I've been trying to catch up on the absolute energy draining, fabulous, amazing, brilliant, caring, supportive night I experienced on Sunday (Oct 19). Seriously, there are absolutely no words that can explain this incredible experience I was blessed to share with friends and family!!!

    Now, don't get me wrong... I have always appreciated my friends and family and have known all along that they've been 100% supportive and caring of me and what I'm going through. I am a firm believer (and no, this is not to, in any way argue religious beliefs) in the power of healing in positive thoughts and energy. Prayer is thought, which is energy. Thoughts are energy. Meditation is energy. Our lives and everything in them consists of energy, so what thoughts and energy you send out, it will be returned tenfold. That brings up the saying, "Be careful what you wish for" because wishes are thoughts which are energy.

    Ok, so having said that... imagine the energy in a 350 seat theatre where approx. 200 friends/family came on a Sunday night to support and be there to Celebrate Life for their friend, Cheryl. Imagine a cast of 20 performers, who are all close friends, and an Emcee who is a friend that I have known since we both were 18 (we are now in our early 50s) ... who put on a tribute show of song and dance for their dear friend, Cheryl? Can you imagine just how much loving, positive energy was in that theatre Sunday night? These were all friends who came from different aspects of my life... friends I've known since high school, friends I've met online, friends who I've worked with over the years, theatre friends, non-theatre friends, family... where the one common thread was their friend or relative, Cheryl. Imagine these 200 friends plus 20 performers mixing and mingling with each other and hearing, "Sooo, how do YOU know Cheryl?" and then watching them talk and chat, even though they did not know each other before this evening?

    Ok.. now, imagine after the show was over and Shel, the Emcee, asked me to come up to the stage to say a few words (of which it never dawned on me to prepare a speech) and I ended up talking from the heart, ad lib. I welcomed everyone to the Celebration, thanked them for coming, and told them that I was only going to get serious for a couple of mins. so that I didn't have to spend the evening telling everyone I talked to how I was doing. I talked about colon cancer, the terror of being diagnosed, the terror of finding more cancer, the treatments from the 8 months of chemo, the 6 weeks of daily radiation, the surgeries, and the side affects... and then said, but look at me?? I am here, healthy, soooo happy, and still searching for the ultimate diet to lose weight . I told them that, yes, I will have more treatments and surgery as we battle the lung stuff... BUT, I'm still happy because how many people can honestly say that they are going to go out on a Sunday night and spend he evening with 200 of their friends??? I then said, "Ok... so you are all up to date with where I'm at, medically speaking... so let's let that go and because it's MY party and it's All About Me, then I get the final say, and I want us all to party, mix and mingle and have the time of our lives, because... WE CAN!!"

    Yes, I got a standing ovation... and then, magic! All 20 performers who were up on the stage, stood up and came to the front of the stage, singing James Taylor's song, "You've Got A Friend". Ok, so the tears of joy started with that... and then everyone in the audience joined in and 220 people were singing:

    You just call out my name,
    And you know wherever I am
    I'll come running, oh yeah baby
    To see you again.
    Winter, spring, summer, or fall,
    All you have to do is call
    And I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
    You've got a friend.

    I am thrilled that my friend, Brian, brought his video equipment and taped the whole show so I will have it on a DVD... meanwhile, if you ant to check out some pictures, you can check out the two blog entries I did today in my blog. Since there was so much to say and so many pictures to post (and no, I didn't post all of them ), there are two entries... Part 1 and Part 2:

    http://ourcheryl.blogspot.com

    Hugggggs,

    Cheryl

    Teary-eyed as I read about your celebration
    Cheryl,
    All I can say is that you are so very, very blessed!! Tears of joy for you are streaming down my face. Hugs are coming your way from me!
    -Sharon
  • msccolon
    msccolon Member Posts: 1,917 Member
    #6
    CherylHutch said:

    Celebration of Life and Friendship
    Hello, everyone! It's been a few days now since I've posted anything and to tell you the truth, it's because I've been trying to catch up on the absolute energy draining, fabulous, amazing, brilliant, caring, supportive night I experienced on Sunday (Oct 19). Seriously, there are absolutely no words that can explain this incredible experience I was blessed to share with friends and family!!!

    Now, don't get me wrong... I have always appreciated my friends and family and have known all along that they've been 100% supportive and caring of me and what I'm going through. I am a firm believer (and no, this is not to, in any way argue religious beliefs) in the power of healing in positive thoughts and energy. Prayer is thought, which is energy. Thoughts are energy. Meditation is energy. Our lives and everything in them consists of energy, so what thoughts and energy you send out, it will be returned tenfold. That brings up the saying, "Be careful what you wish for" because wishes are thoughts which are energy.

    Ok, so having said that... imagine the energy in a 350 seat theatre where approx. 200 friends/family came on a Sunday night to support and be there to Celebrate Life for their friend, Cheryl. Imagine a cast of 20 performers, who are all close friends, and an Emcee who is a friend that I have known since we both were 18 (we are now in our early 50s) ... who put on a tribute show of song and dance for their dear friend, Cheryl? Can you imagine just how much loving, positive energy was in that theatre Sunday night? These were all friends who came from different aspects of my life... friends I've known since high school, friends I've met online, friends who I've worked with over the years, theatre friends, non-theatre friends, family... where the one common thread was their friend or relative, Cheryl. Imagine these 200 friends plus 20 performers mixing and mingling with each other and hearing, "Sooo, how do YOU know Cheryl?" and then watching them talk and chat, even though they did not know each other before this evening?

    Ok.. now, imagine after the show was over and Shel, the Emcee, asked me to come up to the stage to say a few words (of which it never dawned on me to prepare a speech) and I ended up talking from the heart, ad lib. I welcomed everyone to the Celebration, thanked them for coming, and told them that I was only going to get serious for a couple of mins. so that I didn't have to spend the evening telling everyone I talked to how I was doing. I talked about colon cancer, the terror of being diagnosed, the terror of finding more cancer, the treatments from the 8 months of chemo, the 6 weeks of daily radiation, the surgeries, and the side affects... and then said, but look at me?? I am here, healthy, soooo happy, and still searching for the ultimate diet to lose weight . I told them that, yes, I will have more treatments and surgery as we battle the lung stuff... BUT, I'm still happy because how many people can honestly say that they are going to go out on a Sunday night and spend he evening with 200 of their friends??? I then said, "Ok... so you are all up to date with where I'm at, medically speaking... so let's let that go and because it's MY party and it's All About Me, then I get the final say, and I want us all to party, mix and mingle and have the time of our lives, because... WE CAN!!"

    Yes, I got a standing ovation... and then, magic! All 20 performers who were up on the stage, stood up and came to the front of the stage, singing James Taylor's song, "You've Got A Friend". Ok, so the tears of joy started with that... and then everyone in the audience joined in and 220 people were singing:

    You just call out my name,
    And you know wherever I am
    I'll come running, oh yeah baby
    To see you again.
    Winter, spring, summer, or fall,
    All you have to do is call
    And I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
    You've got a friend.

    I am thrilled that my friend, Brian, brought his video equipment and taped the whole show so I will have it on a DVD... meanwhile, if you ant to check out some pictures, you can check out the two blog entries I did today in my blog. Since there was so much to say and so many pictures to post (and no, I didn't post all of them ), there are two entries... Part 1 and Part 2:

    http://ourcheryl.blogspot.com

    Hugggggs,

    Cheryl

    Awesome!
    As expected, it sounds like everybody had a GREAT time! You are truly blessed and I look forward to checking out your blog when I have the time to enjoy it!
    Mary
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #7
    CherylHutch said:

    Celebration of Life and Friendship
    Hello, everyone! It's been a few days now since I've posted anything and to tell you the truth, it's because I've been trying to catch up on the absolute energy draining, fabulous, amazing, brilliant, caring, supportive night I experienced on Sunday (Oct 19). Seriously, there are absolutely no words that can explain this incredible experience I was blessed to share with friends and family!!!

    Now, don't get me wrong... I have always appreciated my friends and family and have known all along that they've been 100% supportive and caring of me and what I'm going through. I am a firm believer (and no, this is not to, in any way argue religious beliefs) in the power of healing in positive thoughts and energy. Prayer is thought, which is energy. Thoughts are energy. Meditation is energy. Our lives and everything in them consists of energy, so what thoughts and energy you send out, it will be returned tenfold. That brings up the saying, "Be careful what you wish for" because wishes are thoughts which are energy.

    Ok, so having said that... imagine the energy in a 350 seat theatre where approx. 200 friends/family came on a Sunday night to support and be there to Celebrate Life for their friend, Cheryl. Imagine a cast of 20 performers, who are all close friends, and an Emcee who is a friend that I have known since we both were 18 (we are now in our early 50s) ... who put on a tribute show of song and dance for their dear friend, Cheryl? Can you imagine just how much loving, positive energy was in that theatre Sunday night? These were all friends who came from different aspects of my life... friends I've known since high school, friends I've met online, friends who I've worked with over the years, theatre friends, non-theatre friends, family... where the one common thread was their friend or relative, Cheryl. Imagine these 200 friends plus 20 performers mixing and mingling with each other and hearing, "Sooo, how do YOU know Cheryl?" and then watching them talk and chat, even though they did not know each other before this evening?

    Ok.. now, imagine after the show was over and Shel, the Emcee, asked me to come up to the stage to say a few words (of which it never dawned on me to prepare a speech) and I ended up talking from the heart, ad lib. I welcomed everyone to the Celebration, thanked them for coming, and told them that I was only going to get serious for a couple of mins. so that I didn't have to spend the evening telling everyone I talked to how I was doing. I talked about colon cancer, the terror of being diagnosed, the terror of finding more cancer, the treatments from the 8 months of chemo, the 6 weeks of daily radiation, the surgeries, and the side affects... and then said, but look at me?? I am here, healthy, soooo happy, and still searching for the ultimate diet to lose weight . I told them that, yes, I will have more treatments and surgery as we battle the lung stuff... BUT, I'm still happy because how many people can honestly say that they are going to go out on a Sunday night and spend he evening with 200 of their friends??? I then said, "Ok... so you are all up to date with where I'm at, medically speaking... so let's let that go and because it's MY party and it's All About Me, then I get the final say, and I want us all to party, mix and mingle and have the time of our lives, because... WE CAN!!"

    Yes, I got a standing ovation... and then, magic! All 20 performers who were up on the stage, stood up and came to the front of the stage, singing James Taylor's song, "You've Got A Friend". Ok, so the tears of joy started with that... and then everyone in the audience joined in and 220 people were singing:

    You just call out my name,
    And you know wherever I am
    I'll come running, oh yeah baby
    To see you again.
    Winter, spring, summer, or fall,
    All you have to do is call
    And I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
    You've got a friend.

    I am thrilled that my friend, Brian, brought his video equipment and taped the whole show so I will have it on a DVD... meanwhile, if you ant to check out some pictures, you can check out the two blog entries I did today in my blog. Since there was so much to say and so many pictures to post (and no, I didn't post all of them ), there are two entries... Part 1 and Part 2:

    http://ourcheryl.blogspot.com

    Hugggggs,

    Cheryl

    So grand...
    I always tell survivors "You never know how many lives you touch". You, Cheryl, have the honor of at least recognizing a few (rofl...200+).

    I still, to this day, have people that see me, come up and say "You were such a big help to me", (some of which, to be honest, I didn't even recognize).

    That DVD should be brought out and watched alot, but especially on days that are a bit low. WE DO have friends!!!

    Hugs, Kathi

Discussion Boards