Tag Archives: First Descents

comfort in the fight

Posted on September 12, 2010 by Emily

There’s danger in complacency/And comfort in the fight. – Jonatha Brooke Every so often, no matter how “great” you are feeling, there are moments in a survivor’s life when the sheer shit storm of cancer and its after-effects come along … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, fellow fighters, Life After Cancer | Tagged 9/11, comfort, compassion, devotion, fight, First Descents, friends, Hottie Bucks, Jonatha Brooke, old wounds, over-looked truths, posse, priceless, sister, Sourland Mountain Preserve, vigil | Leave a comment

the invisible hand of first descents

Posted on August 29, 2010 by Emily

Some things are so obvious, we risk taking them for granted. Some things underpin so much of who we are, what we do, that it seems unnecessary, or redundant, to spend time reflecting on their significance. At the end of … Continue reading →

Posted in adoption, cycling, First Descents, Life After Cancer, running | Tagged adoption, Caesar, challenge, cycling, evolution, First Descents, Jackson, journey back to life, Moab, oxygen, resilience, Rock 'n' Roll marathon, rock-climbing, running, Stiletto, strength, three-part harmony, training | 1 Comment

existential crisis

Posted on July 14, 2010 by Emily

“What, exactly, am I doing?” In recent weeks, this question has been echoing through my mind. A few possible explanations for this existential crisis: summertime. Lately, the heat in Philadelphia has been otherworldly, leaving me wrung out like a dishrag … Continue reading →

Posted in Infertility, Life After Cancer, Writing | Tagged American Cancer Society, biking, blog, books, diagnosis, discipline, First Descents, garden, patient memoirs, running, summer, wordpress, Writing | 4 Comments

small steps, big love

Posted on May 23, 2010 by Emily

Last week, my wonderful friend and gardening guru, Judy, came over to our new house. It was a saturated, sunless late afternoon, so we were limited to drinking tea, standing in the sun room and surveying the back yard. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, First Descents, Life After Cancer | Tagged 5K, Bald Fox, excitement, First Descents, gardening, Hottie Bucks, love, Mike, rain | Leave a comment

everything that rises must converge

Posted on May 8, 2010 by Emily

This phrase, from Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, via Flannery O’Connor, came into my head this afternoon as I strolled through my new neighborhood and thought, as I inevitably do, about First Descents. The words struck me hard, with precision, though … Continue reading →

Posted in First Descents, Life After Cancer, running, Uncategorized | Tagged ascent, Bear, devil's butt crack, discomfort, First Descents, Fridge, Humor, laughter, New Orleans, pain, Phoenix, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, recovery, running, summit, wind | 2 Comments

first descents, take two: a boundless blessing

Posted on April 27, 2010 by Emily

Three days ago, I unpacked from a week in Moab, Utah with First Descents. Tonight, I should be packing again, but instead I am sitting in my pajamas, fumbling with words. It’s overdue. It’s late, and I am tired. Back … Continue reading →

Posted in First Descents, Life After Cancer | Tagged First Descents, Jackson, New Orleans, rappelling, rock-climbing, running, Utah | 2 Comments

they won’t go gently

Posted on April 14, 2010 by Emily

My head is in a fog of allergies, moving and other assorted chaos – both internal and external. We are finally in our new home, and I am ecstatic. After just the first few days, life in the swamps of … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Life After Cancer | Tagged adoption, ALL, Cooper River, Death, First Descents, Jazzfest, moving, New Jersey, Planet Cancer, Texas | 3 Comments

love train

Posted on February 21, 2010 by Emily

Did my last post come across as, well, homicidal? I didn’t mean for it to. I’m peace-loving, really. To clarify, the only machine gun I would ever wield is one loaded with words; language is my best defense, my greatest … Continue reading →

Posted in First Descents, Life After Cancer, Philadelphia, Work | Tagged First Descents, funk music, gardening, homicidal, Iva, kayaking, love, machine gun, negativity, rock-climbing, Sudoku, Washington, whiplash, Woody Guthrie | Leave a comment

every picture tells a story: first descents, revisited

Posted on February 16, 2010 by Emily

Christmas came a little late today, in the form of over a hundred highly secret, much- anticipated photos from First Descents in Jackson, Wyoming. Dear Hollywood, out there on the Left Coast, tormented us all last fall, refusing to share … Continue reading →

Posted in First Descents, Life After Cancer | Tagged First Descents, Hollywood, images, Jackson Hole, mountains, pictures, words, Wyoming | 1 Comment

simplicity: holidays 2009

Posted on January 3, 2010 by Emily

The holiday season is finally over. That seemingly endless stretch starting with Thanksgiving and ending with New Year’s has come and gone, and here I sit, wearing my favorite fleece pants and my re-imagined fuzzy purple cancer socks, listening to … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Life After Cancer | Tagged Central Park, Christmas, cooking, dogs, Double-Oh-Seven, First Descents, fleece pants, fuzzy purple cancer socks, Jose Cuervo Tradicional, kitchen dance party, lasagna, Legos, Magna-tiles, New Year's Eve, New York, Oscar, St. Lucia, The Clash, WineDiva | 2 Comments