Thank you so much for your amazing support on Tuesday’s post: Here’s My New Big Hairy Audacious Dream….What’s Yours? I am loving your comments, emails, tweets and all of the dreams you have shared. You inspire me!

This week, while hyperventilating into a paper bag about all of the pieces that have to come together in order to get my dream off the ground, I googled Nadine Stair’s poem and the words helped me to loosen my grip on the bag (and on my need to have all of the answers right now). At the age of 85, she wrote about how she would have lived her life differently, if she had the chance to do it over.

A friend told me about this poem in the months before I got diagnosed with breast cancer. At the time, I didn’t want to admit how much I related to Nadine’s words, “I am one of those people who lives sensibly and sanely, hour after hour, day after day.” For those of you who know me, you know I was one of those people who never went anywhere without a thermometer, a rain coat, a hot water bottle, or a parachute.

Sometimes, when I look back at the recent adventures in my life, I don’t recognize this crazy person who has big dreams, a dwindling savings account, and a lot of faith. Some people have asked me recently, “what’s your secret?” So here it is….

My secret is…I am still afraid. (more…)