I’m Swimming in the Rain

I have not posted since November 2024. My last post featured a rider on a horse being unceremoniously thrown off as I talked about my terrible day.

Looking back at the months later, I would have thought the horse was thinking, ‘HA! Hold my beer.’

I didn’t write in this space for six months because I didn’t know what to write. Sometimes, life has a way of taking up all the space.

After my post in November about the no-good, terrible, awful day, I went in for a routine mammogram. Two weeks later, I was asked to come back for another screening. That additional screening turned into a biopsy, which turned into two additional biopsies and a lumpectomy. Twelve weeks after my no good, terrible, awful day post, I was given the all-clear: stage zero cancer (that’s a thing!); continue with your life; sorry for the disruption.

To be clear, I am grateful that they care enough to disrupt. But as much as I tried to keep a stiff upper lip, it threw me for a bit of a loop.

I continued working during these 12 weeks. Working, trying to find revenue from the account we had lost. I would wake up in the middle of the night and think about where and how to find that next account.

I stopped dreaming. Nights were peppered with anxiety. Days were filled with ways to prove my worth.

On February 26th, I was given a clean bill of health and a nice two-inch scar on my left boobie.

Two months later, I was dismissed from my job.

I stopped writing here because I was so overwhelmed, which is ironic because I have gone through so much worse. I stopped writing here because I didn’t quite know who I was.

As of today, June 8th, I have been unemployed for six weeks. It has taken six weeks, but I am slowly finding my footing—I recognize the person looking back at me in the mirror. I dream again. I sleep through the night. I am carving out hours for me.

I swam outside the other day. The day was gray and overcast. Halfway through my workout, it started raining. Heavy raindrops hit my arms as the rest of me was submerged. Randomly, I started singing…….

I’m swimming in the rain. Just swimming in the rain

What a glorious feeling! I’m happy again.

I swim and I smile, I could go another mile.

Just swimming, just swimming in the rain…..

Hello me. I missed you.

One response to “I’m Swimming in the Rain”

  1. Kelly Stahlman Avatar
    Kelly Stahlman

    I miss you, too.

    I’m so sorry you’ve had such a hard time! I can relate to the “Ha! hold my beer.” As we both know, when you start comparing we’ve all lost.

    I’m profoundly grateful your lumpectomy worked!!! Grade Zero is GOOD! Excellent! Awesome!!!

    And when you write so beautifully, you capture my own thoughts… who IS that woman in the mirror.

    Hugs, my friend,
    Kelly

    Kelly Stahlman
    Kstahlman@msn.com
    303-946-6124

    Like

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I’m Heather

Welcome to Samsmom and over 15 years of stories about love, loss, grief and the process of moving forward. It’s not always pretty here, but it’s honest. I’m a writer, a fund raiser, rare disease advocate, Mom of two Littles who are no longer here, Wife of Hubs, Aunt to the Phews, daughter, friend and unapologetically me.

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