Lynnette Jackson:
CLASS OF 1974
Berkeley High SchoolClass of 1974
Berkeley, CA
Lynnette's Story
My Survival Story¿
By Ms. Lynnette Jackson
We all have a story to tell,I want to share the essence of mine.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.¿
This is an excerpt from Maya Angelou's poem, 'Still I Rise'
I was diagnosed with breast cancer during the fall of 2003 at the age of 46. Of all the two-of-a-kind body parts - breasts being the least significant pair to me -I chose to have a mastectomy with reconstruction and chemotherapy. I thought I had become a woman when I birth my two sons - what I became was a mother. It wasn't until I had to make profound and altering decisions about my physical body - along with the loss of my hair - that I entered into womanhood...where I found my purpose and strength. It sure helped discovering, much to my surprise, that I had a pretty shaped head.
There's a quote from Sis. Iyanla Vanzant's book, "In the Meantime", that resonated in my soul and gave me courage as I humbled myself and began to seek refuge, ¿Finding yourself and the love that you want", in the meantime¿ Immediately and foremost, I reached inward, where my faith resides, as I prepared myself mentally for the physical journey I was about to embark upon...a destination that, unknown to me, Angels had already been released to pave my safe arrival. Spiritually, I settled into survival mode and dwelled in the presence of the Lord. While in HIS care, I transitioned gracefully (and with peace) into a healing phase. As I entered my season of renewal I began to rise.
Yes, there are many stages of recovery. What I discerned and came to realize during my hiatus was that there are also discovery stages.
Hopes, desires, dreams...you know, those thin...Expand for more
gs that we tend to put off until later...or set aside for a rainy day...well if you reside in the Pacific NW, rainy days can be steady so we are joyous at the presence of any bit of sun...well, those things that lay dormant over the years became active and alive. I'd gone through the 'in the meantime' period. My newfound attitude - if not now when? I concentrated on moving beyond boundaries by fulfilling some of my unfinished goals and desires -like using my passport to travel more internationally instead of just domestically.
Today, I am truly grateful and thankful for the encounter. I've been blessed with a new appreciation for life. It amazes me still to this day as I look back and wonder how I got over...by the sufficient grace of God. I was embraced with prayers, visits, calls, and much love from family and friends along with good care by the medical community. I never questioned, "why me." Now I proclaim, "why not me!" I'M A SURVIVOR with a story to share!
As I conclude 'My Story', I want to share this last quote by Marianne Williamson from A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles, it really exhibits my outlook and validates the woman I am. It has become my personal anthem,
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God."
Now six years later, often I reflect on the past as I invest in the future, but really, I rest in HIS presence as I live in the moment. Most of all, I may not be perfect, but blessed and thankful to say I'M STILL HERE!
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