One More Year

Today's my birthday - the third one since I was first diagnosed with cancer in December 2005. Here's what I wrote in my blog last year on my birthday:

"Should I make a prediction about where I’ll be at my next birthday? I’ll still be in Singapore, I’ll still have cancer, I’ll still be alive. That sounds terribly boring. I hope I can do something between now and then to make that year worth having."

Now I have to ask myself what I've done with this past year that made it worth having. The most obvious answer is that I spent more time with my kids, but that would have been the case even if I didn't have cancer.

In terms of achievements, I think the only thing I can claim to have accomplished this past year is this blog. Without sounding too conceited, I think this blog has provided other people touched by cancer a place to share experiences, learn from each other, and just feel safe, accepted, and inspired.

Looking ahead at one more year, I'd like to set some kind of concrete goal so that on my 43rd birthday, I can look back and say I've accomplished that task. I'm just not sure what that goal should be.

I'd been thinking about setting up a breast cancer information Web site for Singapore, but I see now that there's quite a lot of information out there already on the Internet. I wanted to start a communication training program for health care professionals (after going through some terrible experiences myself), but the hospitals here have already started such a program - maybe due to my volumes of feedback?

So I'm still working on having a goal to strive for in this year ahead. I'm one of those people who likes making lists and ticking off the tasks as they're completed. I'd like to tick off a box a year from now. But I suppose I should be happy enough to be ticking at all.

How about you? What have you done with this past year that made it worth having?