Creation of Calm: A Cancer Survivor's Sketchbook Story

"Dear God, I know you love me and care for my family.  But what am I supposed to do with this?  Is there any other way to do things without pain involved?"
~ Creation of Calm, Mark Fraley


Creation of Calm: A Cancer Survivor's Sketchbook Story, illustrated and written by Mark Fraley, is a gorgeous and inspirational book.  Published in November 2014, this graphic memoir is a series of sketchbook entries that span six years, which illustrate the importance of family, friends, and faith. Through pictures and words, Mark depicts a very difficult period in his life, as a young husband and father who had two bouts of cancer in four years. Most of the pictures are sketches but there are also some colorful collages.  Below are some examples of the artwork and a few quotations from the book.

"Prayer is always a necessity; it is another word for 'balance'."
~ Creation of Calm, Mark Fraley 

"I pray that those who view my art and read my story will take a moment to slow down, maybe get off the phone, and just look intently at the everyday they may have overlooked."
~ Creation of Calm, Mark Fraley

Front Yard Discovery

Although cancer is a serious disease, Creation of Calm is full of joy and appreciation and hope.  We are reminded to slow down and appreciate the beauty and the details of "ordinary" life. 

Many thanks to Christina from Cladach Publishing for sending me a copy of this wonderful book, and for including me on this blog tour (part of the Fall Book Fling).

Pilot Light of Hope

"This is not a journey I was planning to embark on, but I quickly realized that a hopeful heart and open mind are some of the best traveling companions.  And I believe so even now."

"I've dealt with cancer since December 2006; almost 7 years now.  I've had 3 cancers, 4 surgeries, 5 chemos, and 3 radiation treatments so far."

"Fucking cancer.  That is my mantra to this day."
~ Pilot Light of Hope, Mary P. M. Siller


I understand the last sentiment.  I lost my own mother to cancer in 2011.  Cancer SUCKS.  It seems so prevalent, and is taking far too many lives. 

Published in 2013, Pilot Light of Hope: Life with Cancer from an Eternal Optimist is the second book by Mary P. M. Siller.  Previously on this blog, I presented her earlier book, Out of the Ashes: A Story of Common People Transitioning Through Uncommon Events, which is a personal account about losing her home in the 2007 wildfires.  Like her first book, this one reflects Mary's strong spirit, which has helped her fight cancer since 2006, when she found out that she had thyroid cancer.  Today, Mary is living with Stage 4 metastatic colorectal cancer. 

As with Out of the Ashes, this is a more personal post for me, because I am friends with the author.  Mary's newer book, Pilot Light of Hope, is honest and touching and inspirational.  The title describes Mary to a T.  Mary is remarkable.  I first met her when our kids were in elementary school.  She loves art and was an art docent at school, like me.  Mary is friendly, intelligent, and easygoing, and as I got to know her over the years, I discovered that she was a very giving mother, friend, and person.

Mary dedicates Pilot Light of Hope to her family, oncologist and oncology nurses, and to cancer survivors.  Her sister and her mother wrote the book's foreword, and throughout the book are photos of Mary's beautiful family, and some of her many friends.  In spite of what she was going through, Mary is smiling in most of the photos. The back cover of the book is a reproduction of an inspirational painting by a lovely, mutual friend; it's the perfect back cover for this book.  

Although this is Mary's personal story, there's a lot in the book that would help others who are going through the ordeal of cancer.  She offers terrific advice for those battling cancer, which is presented in a clear and concise manner.  In the book, Mary discusses her various treatments, "the terrible time", medical marijuana, and her thoughts and feelings about many things.  I really don't know how Mary summoned up the energy to write this articulate and moving book, but then again, Mary seems to have been blessed with tremendous energy and optimism.  Pilot Light of Hope will bring inspiration and hope to readers.  What really shines throughout the book are the extraordinary qualities that she has always shared generously with others, especially her joyfulness and her loving nature. 

At this point in time, Mary is not having any more treatment.  She is at home with her loving family and a wonderful friend from her childhood who is helping to take care of her.  Friends stop by daily to spend time with her.  Please keep Mary and her family in your thoughts and prayers.  Thank you for reading.

A Long and Winding Road

"This has been a journey traversed on never-before-traveled roads with forks and dead ends and multiple switch-backs for all of us."
~Nancy Robinson, A Long and Winding Road

A Long and Winding Road: A family's intimate journey to the other side of breast cancer by Nancy J. Robinson is the touching and true story of a beautiful, vibrant woman who had a feeling that  something was not quite right.  In October of 2005, Nancy was diagnosed with breast cancer, at the age of 49.

First of all, I should mention right away that Nancy is my friend.  I met her many years ago, when our children were in preschool together.  At that time, I learned that she was a muralist (and I've learned more recently that she also writes for the newspaper).  Her youngest son, Jordan, is about a year older than my daughter, Angela, and he helped her feel more comfortable during her first months at preschool, away from me.  Over the years, I've watched her boys, Matthew and Jordan, grow into handsome, caring, and talented musicians and young men.

At the time Nancy was diagnosed, I did not know her that well.  I'd see her every so often, at school mostly, when we'd pick up our kids, and although I knew she'd been diagnosed with breast cancer, I didn't really know what she was going through. This book filled in many of the details for me.  A Long and Winding Road, published in 2012, is a remarkably honest and detailed account of her experience with breast cancer; much of it's written in the present tense, like a diary or personal journal. With an easy-to-read format and lucid prose, the book includes photos of friends (some of them mutual) and of her supportive and loving family, as well as drawings and notes by her children, all of which enhance the book.  While reading, I felt a kinship with Nancy as I learned about her deep love for music, her family, and life.  Nancy doesn't sugar-coat her experience--she's frustrated and anxious about some things, such as challenges with her health insurance regarding her care--but although she candidly expresses her feelings, she never presents her story in a whiny or "poor little me" manner.  Instead, she's strong and maintains her sense of humor and positive outlook throughout her ordeal, and consequently the book is inspiring and uplifting.  Her appreciation for life is apparent throughout the book, and she's thankful for all that she has, especially her children, and husband, Randy, a psychologist who contributes a few pages near the end of the book about Nancy's illness.  While this is not a self-help book, Nancy does offer some practical advice about how to deal with many aspects of cancer, and includes a section called "Things I wish I knew about chemo before my first treatment".  At the same time, she acknowledges that each case is individual and should be treated as such.

"I am stronger than cancer."
~Nancy J. Robinson, A Long and Winding Road

Nancy's story is one of strength and survival.  I never expected to say this, but I have many good friends and family members who've had (or have) various cancers.  My lovely friend from college, Eriko, is also a breast cancer survivor.  Last year, my husband, Randy, was treated for prostate cancer at a young age (a very helpful book for those faced with this disease is Dr. Patrick Walsh's Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer).  And I lost my wonderful mother to cancer less than a year ago. Unfortunately, cancer seems to be quite prevalent these days, although I suppose the silver lining is that many cancers are curable or at least treatable, if caught early enough.

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Nancy shared some pictures from her recent book-signing party, which I was unable to attend. (Knowing about my probable conflict with Nancy's book launching in advance, I bought a copy of A Long and Winding Road which she signed for me a few days before the party.)

You can read the first chapter of A Long and Winding Road on Nancy's website.
Thanks for visiting!  As always, your comments are welcomed.