Support for the journey.

I have received a lot of support since it has become known that I am facing lung cancer and have been given a relatively short time to live. I share just a few.

 Doug

I have a friend who I have known since the late 1960's. He lives about 210 Kilometres from our home. Pretty much as soon as he found out about my condition he climbed in his camper van and drove to our house. He spent four days working around our place. He got a lot of jobs done in the process, but we also talked a lot.  The talking was important as I worked out in my mind what I was going through and what was ahead for me. 

Anthony

Is a man who has since 2008 commented on my blog posts from time to time. We only actually met for the first time relatively recently and it felt like we had known each other for awhile. We enjoy chatting. He made the time to come out one Sunday and we went for a walk together. The walk was good exercise. I need reminded that I can still do stuff and I need the encouragement to get out and do exercise. I received a photo of the chest x-ray the other day and was looking at it, noticing that at least half my left lung is non functioning and there is ongoing issues with other parts of my lungs. I figure that if I keep what parts of my lung are functioning exercised and doing their best to function, life will be better for me. So I appreciated the encouragement to go walking. But once again while we walked we talked. I probably bored Anthony to tears, but it was good for me once again to think out loud about life. 

Fire Fighters.

The people in my three chaplaincies have been good. They have hugged me, shaken my hand, asked repeated how I was going, offered help and been willing to talk and joke and somehow keep life "normal".

Robin

In the photo immediately above, the man looking down at his dog in the front row of the photo is Robin, one of the firefighters. He texted me and asked if he could come out. It was more like telling me that he was going to come to talk some time. We arranged for him to come one afternoon. He arrived and I was doing a little job on my trailer, so he assisted with that. We eventually went inside for a cup of coffee and we just talked. He asked questions and I answered. Again the process of sharing helped me feel like I was not alone. We also laughed and chatted about life, which gave a sense of normality.

Swanny and his paddlers

But then there was his good friend, Swanny, the man with the head band in the left of the photo. Both Swanny and Robin this week celebrated the fact that they had been firefighters for 35 years. Swanny is one of the most caring guys in the job. He rang me and told me that on Wednesday morning this week,  there was to be a group of fire fighters who would go out for a paddle on the Otago Harbour in a Waka (outrigger canoes) He said they would love me to come. I would not have to paddle, but the group wanted me to join them.  They are all from "Green Watch" They would give me a paddle if I wanted to paddle some of the way. He said he would shout me coffee afterward. The day was raining, but there was no wind, the harbour was as flat as a pan cake, safe for a paddle. So 11 firefighters and another Waka club member turned up. We took out two Waka, six paddlers in each and away we went in the rain. I had never paddled before so was learning. We paddled up the harbour for five kilometres, and turned around and came back to base. There was a couple of times when the Waka were side by side and the fire fighters, always a competitive bunch, aggressively picked up the pace. I struggled to keep in time.  There are six paddlers per canoe, three paddle on one side, and three on the other. You paddle about 12 strokes on one side, then the middle man yells "Huck" and we all change sides. Quite tricky for a new boy. (the poor guy in front of me got splashed quite a lot.)   It was a great time, though my paddling has room for improvement.  Then we changed into dry clothing, and all went out for a mid morning coffee. It was simply great fun. I paddled all the way which they declared a "gutsy effort." I am 11 years older than the oldest of the group, so I felt quite pleased that I am not yet an invalid. Of course sitting around drinking and eating gave lots of time for conversation. Today my shoulders and arms are pleasantly sore.

Tomorrow Blue Watch have invited me for a special morning tea.... the support goes on. 

 This is just some of the support I receive. Friends, family and many others have expressed support one way or another. It truly is a wonderful world and I am so grateful.