Gifts

People have made some incredible gestures that I have found so moving since I have been diagnosed.

Sweet Gesture 1
Most of you know that I spent part of my senior year in Brazil attending PUC in Rio de Janeiro.
A friend of my mothers lives down there, Kdu, and he took incredible care of me during my stay (got me a cell phone, made sure I was situated), and when Paul and I went down a couple of years ago, he let us stay in his apartment right on the lagoon. Here are some pics:

He sent a very sweet email to my mother letting her know that he had gone to his candomble priest about my situation. Now, Kdu (the gentleman), is Catholic, but Brazil is much like Hawaii where people can be very Christian but have no problem bringing Pele an offering. It isn't really contradictory actions or beliefs, more, complementary or parallel. For some reason, the Catholicism and Hawaiian polytheism don't really get in each other's way, and so it is in Brazil with Catholicism (or Evangelicalism) and Candomble. The general consensus in both cultures is: Might as well cover all your bases, right?

So his candomble priest spoke to the orixas (a type of spirit), and the orixas say that everything is gonna be alright with me:) Here is a candomble ceremony for those of you who are interested:


Sweet Guesture 2
A girlfriends mom wrote me an email and told me that she had send me a priority package fromwhen I opened it up it was a beautiful handmade wreath made from plants that grow in my hometown, Hawaii. It arrived right after my chemotherapy treatment, and Waimea! She had driven up to my old house, along Saddle Road, and even got plants from Lalamilo Farmlots and created a beautiful wreath. It is amazing, because my town is very wet and very rainforesty, and Waimea just has a certain smell, which I now have had delivered direct to my home in freezing Texas!

Here is a picture of it hanging up in my kitchen:
3rd Gesture, last, but DEFINITELY NOT THE LEAST:

Ed Akman, his wife Wendy, relatives and Kathy Peterson (who sold my parents their house in Russell, NZ) made me amazing music video, with an original song and lyrics! Ed wrote the words and played the music, and it is an exquisite homage to my optimism and love of vicodin! I laughed so hard and I wanted to share their original song with you. Please enjoy!