Peace One Day

I've decided that today is a good day to write about world peace and about an initiative that celebrates that goal. I think it's all too easy with all that's going on in the world to focus on the negative and forget that there are people and organisations out there trying to make things better.

Peace One Day was started in 1999 by the British filmmaker, Jeremy Gilley, and aims to promote the idea of one day free of conflict and war. (I haven't seen it written anywhere, but I guess the goal is that if you can start with one day, why not two, and so on.) After a couple of years of meeting with heads of state, peace negotiators, NGOs, etc., Jeremy was able to convince the UN to pass a resolution declaring September 21st as a day of global ceasefire. The resolution was passed on 7th September 2001 and efforts to work towards the goal were lost a few days later.

Oh, I know what you're thinking...world peace is unattainable, a Pollyanna dream, but subsequent years of effort have shown that the world can still surprise us...

In 2007, Jeremy travelled with Jude Law to Afghanistan and managed to persuade not only NATO and Afghan forces but also the Taliban to hold a one-day ceasefire, allowing women and children to be vaccinated in hard-to-reach provinces. In Southern Sudan NGOs have used Peace Day to get additional food and vaccinations to war-torn regions. There are many other similar stories on the website.

Anyway, I'll leave it there and hope that others will continue to promote the idea. For me, it's a little like the climate change issue, we can choose to do nothing because it's just too difficult, or we can do something. I believe our kids will thank us for choosing the latter.

Oh, and how thoughtful that they should choose my birthday to celebrate the day!!

A short medical update - I completed the first of six monthly chemo treatments last week without too much drama. The dose went from 140mg during radiation up to 300mg this time and will increase to its maximum dose of 380mg next month. The side-effects were pretty much the same as before - mostly fatigue and stomach cramps - and the anti-nausea pills worked well. Now ready to get back on the bike to enjoy the beautiful fall colours.

Peace everyone!

Good times

Just a short note to post a few photographs and update on the last couple of weeks. We tried to take full advantage of my four-week break between radiation ending and chemo starting. Here's a taste:

My Dad and Margaret stayed with us for a week and we took in the Minnesota State Fair, a stroll along the heritage trail, the boys playing soccer, and lots of boating fun...

Check out the look of sheer terror!

(For anyone who would like to see more photographs of the fun on the lake - especially Richard's fun-boarding antics - there's a Picassa album here: 'boating fun')

A clear highlight of the last couple of weeks was competing in the Minneapolis Duathlon with Anna and some good friends of ours. Anna and Curt both ran the two 5k legs and I cycled the 18 miles in the middle with Mary. Unfortunately the official photographers didn't catch us on the course (I'm going to resist a joke about us going too fast) but my dad was on hand to take this photograph afterwards.

Last, but not least was a short trip to Lanesboro in southern Minnesota with Mary and Curt, their kids, Isabel and Alli (all in the photo below), and Carla and Daniel (not pictured). Time well spent on bike rides, a three hour tube ride down the root river (complete with a six pack for the grown-ups), lots of great food, good laughs, and way too much wine.

Outside Whalen's 'World Famous Pie Shop'

That's all for now - I'm off to have a lie down!
Until next time...

ps. There is a tool on my blog where I can view stats of how many people have read the blog (good for my ego, y'know) and where they are from. This month there were nine page views from Tanzania and, as I don't know anyone there, I'm curious to know...who's out there and are you enjoying the blog?

One year ago today...

My life was changed forever. I feel like I want to mark the occasion somehow, but I honestly don't know exactly how I feel about it. I know that some cancer patients mark the anniversary of the date they are pronounced 'cancer free'. But as I'm not, there's nothing to celebrate. This was the toughest year of my life. Anna and I reached the lowest lows and cried more tears than we had in the previous ten years. On the other hand, I've come through two surgeries, two tiring bouts of radiation, a few rounds of chemo, and I'm still fighting. Furthermore...

• I've grown closer to family and friends
• I'm appreciating the everyday moments more - bedtime chats with the boys, a good meal with friends, a chat and a glass of wine with Anna.
• I'm more conscious of how I look after my body
• I'm working hard and enjoying it more than ever
• I'm having more fun and laughs
• I don't dwell on what people think too much (a gift normally reserved for the elderly!)

I don't subscribe to the cliche that 'cancer was the best thing that ever happened to me'. But it has given me a new perspective, a greater focus on the important things, and made me (in Thoreau's words) "suck the marrow out of life". (More on that in the next post).

So, there, I've marked the occasion. It's not positive, it's not negative, it just is what it is.