Breakfast with Rohan

My sister and I spent last week in Jersey City, NJ. We got to celebrate the holidays with our beloved nephew Rohan. Here he is eating breakfast with us and explaining his thoughts on life.

The Guest House

All of us meet with difficulties in our own lives. This is what a person's life entails. But some of the most challenging struggles take place in our own minds. A friend of mine recently shared a poem with me and I wanted to put it up here to share with all of you. Sometimes unique moments, unique thoughts open us to think and live differently; perhaps more gracefully. If not, then at least to be more honest and certainly more grateful for whatever comes to us.

-

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.

Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,

some momentary awareness comes

as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!

Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,

who violently sweep your house

empty of its furniture,

still, treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you out

for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,

meet them at the door laughing,

and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,

because each has been sent

as a guide from beyond.

- Rumi

Picasa Web Album

To view all of these pictures and others click:

http://picasaweb.google.com/alpen.sheth.

A short poem for the snow flake

The snow falls.

It rest with little resistence to the earth even as the powerful wind drives it from its path.

It glows in the light.

Connects earth with the sky.

It is unique but indistinguishable.

And it has little time.

Or perhaps, not enough time.

If only it had more time and less pressure from the rest of the weather.

And possibly less self-doubt, less concern for its brittle stature.

Soft and thorough, it eventually lays down all its strength and remakes the contours of the earth until the earth is no more.

No longer distant and distinguishable.

Just one wide ocean of white stillness.

The snow is falling

The snow is falling in Boston. In case anyone is jealous or curious, we have pictures of all the snow-related action as documented from the doorstep of the house.


Palak looking pretty after a hectic week of examinations. Watching along as her hubby clears the path of scary snow flakes.




A rare sighting of Super-Rahul in action taking on the snow one flake at a time with his lethal snow-fighting weapons.

follow-update

Happy Holidays,

I am just sending out a short update on the treatment schedule. I just returned to Miami from meeting with the Radiation Oncology doctor in Boston. He advised that I return for a couple of weeks of treatment in order to ensure that there are no more reoccurances in the future. If anything, these things teach us a lot about patience--and we're never too old for that.

I will start radiation on Dec. 15th and will have 15 minutes sessions every weekday till approximately January 13th. I am free on the weekends and Christmas!

To close, I have to say that these past few months of treatment and tribulation have been humbling and instructive. I've learned a whole lot about love and sacrifice, true concern and insecurity, and to some extent, about how to remain sane amidst life's insanity and instability.

Sending my love to all of you--my care-takers and well-wishers,

alpen

...you have to groove with the moves you have

Transplant was a Huge Success But....The Fat Lady Hasn't Sung Yet!

Alpen-ites:

I have not blogged in a while. Here is the update...Alpen returned home safely from Boston last week. His counts rebounded very fast (very Superman like) so the doctors were pleased to let him come home to Miami a week or so after discharge.

As you can imagine, we were elated to hear this news! Alpen was so ready to come home and Suresh Uncle was so ready to have him back. What a reunion! Father and son together after 2 months!!

Since returning home Alpen has been recovering--his appetite is good, his energy is decent, and he sleeps so well in his own bed!! While he is not yet back at this normal energy level, he is gathering strength day-by-day and enjoying the Miami weather.

While we are all celebrating Alpen's successful transplant, this adventure is not over yet. The next stop: radiation. Yes, Alpen is slated to undergo radition therapy. To get it all sorted out, Alpen actually returned to Boston on Tuesday for a planning appointment with his radiologist. He returned home to Miami today.

So Alpen will return to Boston (ugh, i know) for the recommended 3.5 weeks of Radiation at the Dana Farber Center. Alpen will be there from approx Dec 15 through the second week of January. While Alpen says radiation is not as harsh as chemo or the transplant, it will still have its array of side-effects.

So, Alpen-ites we are not signing off yet. Keep reading and sending your support and love to Alpen because he has will be in treatment through mid-January. We are in the last stretch of this marathon...keep...running......

Oh--and start thinking about whether you will be in the Boston area for the winter holidays--Alpen will be out there and would prob love to see you!!!

Much love
Purvi