Graduation

Today was finally our graduation! It was so inspiring to watch everyone get on stage and speak about their experiences here at Hippocrates!

One woman got on stage and was speaking very highly of her experience and how it has helped her deal with the health complications of aging. Then she stopped and said “i would like to specially thank one specific staff member that has made her time here incredible. She started telling us a story about when she was 6 and she didnt know how to swim. Her mother told her she couldnt go in the pool with her friends because she didnt know how to swim. regardless of what her mom said, she went into the pool. She couldnt stay a float and she went under, almost drowning to death. She is now 65 and has never been in the water since. Her husband was determined to teach her how to swim when they got married, with countless attempts she just couldnt bring herself to get in the water. When she got to Hippocrates she saw on the itinerary that they offer swimming lessons. she said “well I am in the Life Transformation Program! Its now or never!” So she signed herself up for some swimming lessons. The instructor held her hand and brought her into the water, and within that one lesson she could fully submerge her ENTIRE body including her head under the water. It just goes to show that so many amazing things happen here everyday! her story inspired me that anything can happen!

Finally it came my mom and my turn to go on stage and speak about your experience. I started off by telling the shortest version of my cancer journey i could, and then i spoke about one moment i had here that changed everything. I told everyone about my first week here. I was very sick and not really able to participate in the program. A group of adults that i had met earlier that day had gone out, bought me a card and a gift card that i could use anywhere here like the spa and salon! I was so overwhelmed by how many people came together and pitched in to buy me this gift card just to make me feel better. I know they must have put a lot of time in to get everyone together to do this for me! I wish they were with us today at graduation but they had already graduated last week or the week before. When my mom and i were done speaking I went over to the piano to play a song to end the graduation. I sang the song a wrote about my previous caner exerience! it was really nice sharing that song with so many people that are dealing with a similar health problem.

Cant believe 3 weeks have gone by but i cannot wait to get home and get things all ready for christmas! (the best holiday)

Im going to end this with a line from a song that came on my ipod as i was walking to the dinning hall the other day. It felt completely relatable to what i am going through here.

“This is just a stop on the way to where im going, Im not afraid because i know this is my temporary home.” – Carrie Underwood –