Dear Friends,

‘Tis the season to be thankful, and my gratitude list is long this year. Even though 2010 has been a busy year for Healing Journeys, with three conferences and four workshops, I’ve been questioning whether we could continue because of the doldrums in the economy. For many reasons, I am now feeling hopeful and optimistic about the future of Healing Journeys.

I’m grateful that we have hired Beth DeLashmutt-Poore as our Executive-Director-in-Training. She brings new energy, passion, and skills that I think will not only help create financial sustainability for Healing Journeys, but will help us grow and thrive.

I’m grateful for all of you who contributed in so many ways to the success of the Cancer as a Turning Point free conference in San Mateo last month.  Thank you to those that volunteered, made donations, bought tee shirts, prayed for us, told your friends about it, distributed brochures, danced, took extra programs to give to others, and were present to truly connect with each other. I hope you will take 6 minutes to experience the spirit of that conference by watching the video that communicates the essence of the week-end event.

I’m grateful for the amazing information that people received at The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen workshop on November 5 in Napa. The word I heard over and over from people describing how they felt after the workshop was “empowered.” Here’s one of many similar comments:

Awesome! As a cancer patient one often feels out-of-control. Being able to proactively do something about future cancer via diet is very empowering. THANK YOU!!!

I’m grateful for the remarkable community of compassionate people I have met through Healing Journeys.  I loved meeting many of you in Knoxville, TN and Charlottesville, VA when we had free conferences there in June. And I’m grateful for the Wellness Community in Knoxville and the University of Virginia Cancer Center in Charlottesville for making those conferences possible.

I’m grateful that I am healthy and thriving — celebrating three years of NED (no evidence of disease). I’m looking forward to the planning Beth and I will do the rest of this year to create our programs for 2011. I feel so blessed to be doing this work that I love and that is making a difference in the lives of so many people.

Thank you for being part of this community.  I’m grateful for you.

In the spirit of healing,

Jan Adrian, MSW
Founder and Executive Director

Return to Turning Points eNewsletter – November 2010