I Get By With a Little Help from My Friends - A Fresh Chapter

We all have different personality traits.  Some of us are introverts while others are extroverts. Some of us are carefree while others are more serious. Some of us are nurturers while others graciously receive gifts of help.

I would classify myself as a nurturer. I receive joy when helping others. It is in giving that we receive. I receive so much positive energy from helping others. Helping others re-energizes me. 

This summer I traveled to Peru as part of A Fresh Chapter's Peru Odyssey Program. A Fresh Chapter is a non-profit dedicated to healing the emotional scars of cancer. A Fresh Chapter combines domestic or international volunteerism with programs designed to reframe adversity, foster connections, and promote personal growth and development. A Fresh Chapter's vision is a world where our experiences with cancer empower us to seek new purpose and possibility in our lives.

 My volunteer assignment was helping at Martincitos the senior center located in Villa  El Salvador, an extremely poor district on the outskirts of Lima. I loved my volunteer placement at Martincitos. Putting smiles on the faces of the seniors and being thanked generously by bear hugs and kisses on the cheeks filled me with great joy. 

As part of the Peru Odyssey program we traveled to Manchu Picchu over the weekend for a once in a lifetime experience. Climbing to the summit of Manchu Picchu taught me another life lesson. It taught me how to be a gracious receiver of someone else’s help. Nurturers generally don’t want to accept help. Accepting help makes us vulnerable. Accepting help puts us outside of our comfort zone. We are no longer in control of the situation.

My personal goal was to make it to the top of Manchu Picchu. I joined the Livestrong at the YMCA program to build my strength. I also took Dakota, my dachshund mix, for long walks everyday for months prior to my departure. She was in heaven! I knew climbing Manchu Picchu was going to a personal challenge. The high elevation would make breathing difficult. I was was okay with the fact that I would walk at a slower pace then the rest of my tribe and would have to take frequent breaks along the climb. I even felt at peace with having to use a walking stick to help me navigate the rough terrain, but I wasn’t prepared to have to give my backpack to someone else.  

Being a nurturer I didn’t want to inconvenience anyone. I didn’t want to be a burden. But as I ascended the mountain I began to reflect on what was happening.  I put myself in “my sherpa’s” shoes. I knew if roles were reversed I would have been filled with immense joy to be the one to help someone else realize their dream. I contemplated why I couldn’t graciously accept help like the seniors at Martincitos. 

This was an humbling experience. It made me realize that accepting help when needed isn’t a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength. Accepting help allows you to be vulnerable and to make connection. We are hard wired for connection. Accepting help graciously may give someone else great joy.  I will feel this connection to “my Sherpa” for the rest of my life. My Sherpa named Terri helped me realize my dream of a once in a life time experience. For that I will be eternally grateful.

Thank you Terri for teaching me this life lesson. 
If you or someone you love has been impacted by cancer and you’re looking for a meaningful way to start fresh, applications for our 2018 Fall Odyssey program in Costa Rica, South Africa, and Peru are open until February 15, 2018. Explore life beyond cancer with us! 





Comments

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