Eva

My neighbor, Jenn, is an ENT nurse. When she heard about what I was going through, she immediately thought of a speaker she had heard at a nurses' conference in Chicago a few years ago. The speaker had the same kind of cancer as I had, also had her tongue rebuilt, also had no risk factors and was making her living as a motivational, inspirational speaker.

Jenn kept trying to remember what the speaker's name had been. She asked at work, but it had been a few years ago and no one she asked could remember. Jenn, like me, hates having extra clutter around, so she doubted she had kept anything from the conference. She went down in her basement and looked through a box of work related papers anyway, hoping maybe, just maybe, she had kept something from the conference.

Viola! The conference brochure turned up in the box. She couldn't believe it. She called to tell me right away . The speaker's name had been Eva Grayzel. And it turned out she was from Pennsylvania not far from here.

I went into the hospital for surgery, but checked out Eva's website here after I got back home. Last week I took the time to email her. I told her a little about myself and said I would love to meet her. I offered to pay a fee for a one-on-one session with her, not knowing how her speaking/consulting business might work.

The next day there was an email from Eva. She said she would love to meet me. There was no way she would charge me. And, by the way, she was going to be speaking at a Chanukah service near me two days later. Would I like to come meet her, talk with her before the show and during dinner, and take pictures for her blog?

I emailed back right away, "Sounds great! Count me in!" That's how, last Friday, I celebrated the second night of Chanukah for the first time in my life. I celebrated as Eva's photographer in a packed Temple on the Main Line.

We met before her performance. She was working to lead a childrens' portion of the service, as a storyteller and performance artist. This type of work is something she does in addition to speaking at medical conferences. She had begun her career as a performance artist and shifted to more motivational work after she got cancer.

We talked during dinner and before her second session of the evening. She was so gracious, so full of energy, and so completely understanding of what I have been going through.

The next day she was heading to San Diego to an event for dental hygenists. Eva speaks at conferences, but also volunteers time to promote awareness about oral cancer. I admired her ability to live what her business card says: Turning Adversity into Opportunity.

This is a quote that has been on my mind today:

Look at every path closely and deliberately. Try it as many times as you think necessary. Then ask yourself, and yourself alone, one question. This question is one that only a very old man asks. My benefactor told me about it when I was young, and my blood was too vigorous for me to understand it. Now I do understand it. I will tell you what it is: Does this path have a heart? All paths are the same: they lead nowhere. They have paths going through the bush, or into the bush. In my own life I could say I have traversed long, long paths, but I am not anywhere. My benefactor's question has meaning now. Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good; if it doesn't, the path is of no use. Both paths lead nowhere; but one has a heart, the other doesn't. One makes for a joyful journey; as long as you follow it, you are one with it. The other will make you curse your life. One makes you strong; the other weakens you.

Carlos Castaneda The Teaching of Don Juan

No matter how we live our lives, we are all no longer here in the end. This quote motivates me to continue to follow my heart as I move forward and continue to heal.

Thanks for finding Eva's name, Jenn!

Eva, thanks for being such an example of living with heart! I can't say enough good things about meeting you.

Comments

You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

Lisa, the quote by Carlos Casteneda - it hit me. For some time I have had a quote of his on my bulletin board.

"we either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong ... the amount of work is the same.

Posted by: Joan | 12/07/2010 at 11:22 PM

Wow, that's so wonderful and exciting about the motivational speaker you were able to meet! I bet there's a huge need for this type of awareness and support out there...maybe one day you could fill Eva's gap in the DC area?

As for the quote about heart, wow, it's so powerful on a number of levels, and relates to all our lives and the paths we take.

love, hugs,

Ellen

Posted by: ellen | 12/08/2010 at 04:45 PM

Lisa,
You are an inspiration to all those that will follow you....your courage, strength, and appreciation. Your attitude is a big part your success. Keep it going!

Posted by: Eva Grayzel | 12/09/2010 at 06:39 PM