tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post7876928762343467057..comments2024-03-28T11:25:39.068-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: Marlene Rudy Linz: "The Fringe Benefits of Cancer" (Life on the Edge No One Would Ask For)Jungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-71646599137380226582020-11-26T15:39:06.246-05:002020-11-26T15:39:06.246-05:00Stumbled upon this today, Thanksgiving 2020. Thank...Stumbled upon this today, Thanksgiving 2020. Thank you, Marlene. I am grateful for you today. May you continue to live on in the hearts of your loved ones, and strangers like me. Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17303415704964019187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-52231952786928741242017-06-04T21:58:50.188-04:002017-06-04T21:58:50.188-04:00On the one year anniversary of Marlene's death...On the one year anniversary of Marlene's death, I count myself as so blessed to have been her friend and to have had her in my life. I hope you are enjoying the music, Marlene, and may we meet again some day. Your life and ways were a gift to all of us at Grace. We love you and miss you every day. Celia Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01769591331934506975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-50076212777561741382017-03-02T22:39:28.732-05:002017-03-02T22:39:28.732-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Glenlukeserra@gmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02986520396239871715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-2546122995506143002017-03-02T22:36:10.858-05:002017-03-02T22:36:10.858-05:00Remembering Marlene today on her birthday -- the l...Remembering Marlene today on her birthday -- the last time I saw her was in 1981, but her smile left a lifetime imprint on me. Thoughts and prayers for her family. Glen SerraGlenlukeserra@gmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02986520396239871715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-73760979753908633062016-11-26T15:59:28.789-05:002016-11-26T15:59:28.789-05:00Susan,
Thank you for sharing Marlene's beautif...Susan,<br />Thank you for sharing Marlene's beautiful spirit and talent with such a wide and appreciative audience. It was an honor to be part of her treatment team as it brought me significant time with both her and Peter-two amazing people who probably touched my life more than I did theirs. The service was indeed remarkable, touching and inspiring and I was so glad I could take the time to participate-there was no higher tribute to an amazing woman.<br />dbAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-67912229889296264852016-08-05T15:42:08.361-04:002016-08-05T15:42:08.361-04:00Susan, this is beautiful--just seeing this now and...Susan, this is beautiful--just seeing this now and I'm so glad. I didn't know you had a connection--so deeply sorry for your loss. The Linzes live here in town, and our kids have been in a number of school productions together over the years--and of course, every Halloween for years was spent tromping around their house, such a gift to the local kids. Like so many in this community, I'll miss seeing her lovely smile and will treasure these profound words she wrote. Thank you for sharing. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08014969991415196298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-87523616228156412772016-07-13T20:42:48.763-04:002016-07-13T20:42:48.763-04:00Thank you for sharing this inspiring post.I wish I...Thank you for sharing this inspiring post.I wish I could have known her.The answer to your question about what we learn comes from my own encounters with serious health issues and the loss of some dear friends: today is the only day we ever have.That's not exactly news but it is hard to remember when there is no big, scary issue hanging over us. <br /><br />Did we make this one day a good one? Spend as much time as possible in ways that mean something, and as little as possible in ways that don't? Hold our loved ones in our hearts, and forgive their annoying qualities as we hope they forgive ours?<br /><br />Being seriously ill does give a kind of freedom: not to waste one more precious minute on whatever, or whoever, makes us unhappy, stressed, used up, unsupported. (The tv show The Big C,was just brilliant on this) Trisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08058396345946250313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-59949250101943529522016-07-13T08:23:48.330-04:002016-07-13T08:23:48.330-04:00Reine, that is an astounding story. Absolutely ast...Reine, that is an astounding story. Absolutely astounding.Brenda Buchananhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14161539130987122737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-32285396571417109032016-07-13T08:22:16.010-04:002016-07-13T08:22:16.010-04:00My condolences to you and all who loved Marlene, S...My condolences to you and all who loved Marlene, Susan. Thank you for this inspiring post.Brenda Buchananhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14161539130987122737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-80536297415952522192016-07-12T20:22:03.020-04:002016-07-12T20:22:03.020-04:00Dear Susan,
Your friend sounds very insighful. H...Dear Susan,<br /><br />Your friend sounds very insighful. How strange that she and a neighbor's son both had cancer. I wonder if there was a factory in that neighborhood!<br /><br />She made lemonades out of lemons that she was dealt with. My heart goes out to her husband and children.<br /><br />I cried when I read your story about Marlene.<br /><br />A family friend, who also grew up in Chicago area, died of cancer when her kids were young. Fortunately, her friends rallied around her husband and children.<br /><br />Marlene touched many lives during her short time,<br /><br />I went through spinal meningitis before age 2 (years before the meningitis vaccine was available). I went through brain surgeries and I had to learn how to walk again. Pretty much learn everything again!<br /><br />As a result, I think facing these difficulties so early in life made me work very hard at everything. As an adult, I continue to work very hard. <br /><br />Thank you for sharing,<br />Diana xoxoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-77724917924863769432016-07-12T20:05:00.464-04:002016-07-12T20:05:00.464-04:00Marlene's message is beautiful. Thank you.Marlene's message is beautiful. Thank you.Maureen Harringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499876353651763590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-91064886668049332052016-07-12T20:03:34.165-04:002016-07-12T20:03:34.165-04:00When I was a new bride at 24 my doctor told me I h...When I was a new bride at 24 my doctor told me I had cancer and needed surgery that would take me out of my last year of college and prevent me from having children. Against his advice I went to summer school and crammed all the classes I could into the short summer term. I had 6 weeks to recover before the fall term. I had to do it. It gave me focus.<br /><br />I didn't appreciate how much focus it gave me, until it happened again when I was preparing for graduate school. I needed more surgery in the same area. I didn't believe my doctor, so she sent me to specialists who told me that I did have cancer that had spread from one organ to another and that I didn't have long to live. I might have weeks or months. Maybe. I showed them my letter of admission to graduate school at Harvard. One of them cried. She was very kind but insistent that I needed the surgery. I could have chemo in Boston.<br /><br />When I got to Boston I went to the director of the student health center, who was also an oncologist and head of the American Cancer Society. He examined me and checked my records, including the slides that all those doctors back home said verified that I had cancer. He asked me what <i>my</i> diagnosis was. I said I didn't believe that I had cancer. He said he concurred. "You never had cancer."<br /><br />So what did that do for me? It made me resilient and patient. It gave me understanding for others. It took a little time to get over being angry, but it was important, maybe the most important thing of all. I knew what it felt like. I learned to keep going.<br /><br />Keep going.Maureen Harringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499876353651763590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-42175735952638664462016-07-12T18:15:48.213-04:002016-07-12T18:15:48.213-04:00Susan, you present a beautiful tribute to an aweso...Susan, you present a beautiful tribute to an awesome woman whose example offers encouragement and strength to those experiencing similar suffering. My condolences for your loss.Gail M Baugniet - Authorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11543343067963247963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-4451948990122179122016-07-12T16:07:29.526-04:002016-07-12T16:07:29.526-04:00Marlene sounds like someone whose life was truly w...Marlene sounds like someone whose life was truly worth celebrating. She exemplified what I have learned from Ross's successful fight with cancer and a dear friend's courageous walk towards the end with the same disease: that life can and should be lived to its fullest no matter what.Juliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09553268569509053159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-56036314746130122952016-07-12T15:33:48.029-04:002016-07-12T15:33:48.029-04:00My condolences to you and to your heart family. T...My condolences to you and to your heart family. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to share my lessons from adversity: I learned from adversity to sort for the butterflies and ignore the fire ants. I learned from adversity that the book was called "Job" not Coralee. I am not a cosmic chess piece. I learned that living with love is healthier than living with anger. I learned that crocus are waiting to bloom beneath the snow. I learned that letting go allows me to be here. I learned that each day is a new beginning. I learned that now is more important than "then" or "if". Finally I learned that being is better than doing. Thanks for listening CoraleeCoralee Hickshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06691335135691119400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-46496046442497020342016-07-12T15:05:23.356-04:002016-07-12T15:05:23.356-04:00Love the video, too! I wanted to get up and dance ...Love the video, too! I wanted to get up and dance to it during the service! Marlene planned the entire service and it was so beautiful.Susan Elia MacNealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00349842866995778987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-85123760322573837862016-07-12T12:13:29.134-04:002016-07-12T12:13:29.134-04:00Susan, thank you. I am sorry for your loss, and wi...Susan, thank you. I am sorry for your loss, and wish I'd known Marlene. I've been thinking a lot these days about being aware and appreciative but it takes work and there's a lot of backsliding! <br /><br />I know the things that work for me; cooking, music, being outside, reading, writing, and so especially friends and family. Alas, the writing at the moment is depriving me of time with friends, daughter, and grandbaby, but that will right itself soon enough. First thing on my "finished book" list is to call all the friends I've missed the last few months.<br /><br />I loved the video, too. I have a new band to follow!Deborah Crombiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988750789088153601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-43454227798556244322016-07-12T12:12:55.534-04:002016-07-12T12:12:55.534-04:00Dear Susan,
Thank you for this post. It comes at a...Dear Susan,<br />Thank you for this post. It comes at an incredibly necessary time in my life. Today, the fringd benefit of hard times is being reminded that I have so many wonderful people around me to make these times less hard. My life, no matter how hard it is, is blessed.<br />As always, with love,<br />KimKimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15354719566758459929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-79037535519247160232016-07-12T12:04:22.419-04:002016-07-12T12:04:22.419-04:00What a beautiful piece! I'm still crying. So s...What a beautiful piece! I'm still crying. So sorry for the loss of this wonderful woman.<br />At this time I year I have two anniversaries--the death of my father on July 26 and the day my mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the end of June. The same day my daughter Jane got engaged. We all go through our times of darkness but I'm in awe about the way some people are tested and come through their darkness shining like sunsRhysnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-72025613488011054012016-07-12T11:58:20.781-04:002016-07-12T11:58:20.781-04:00Deep footprints, indeed.Deep footprints, indeed.Susan Elia MacNealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00349842866995778987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-44591492130447918122016-07-12T09:56:42.554-04:002016-07-12T09:56:42.554-04:00Deep footprints, indeed. Susan, I'm sorry for ...Deep footprints, indeed. Susan, I'm sorry for your loss. Although it seems as though Marlene gave you, her family, and now all of us a tremendous gift, this sharing of her life and insights. <br /><br />About ten years ago my husband and I went to so many funerals in a fifteen-month period, it was almost our entire social life. We literally lost a dozen family members (both his and mine) and an equal amount of friends during that time. Honestly, it was like one body blow after another. <br /><br />By the time I realized what we'd been through I also realized we had to make significant changes in our lives, take advantage of whatever unknown amount of time we have left, and to savor every minute we could, both together and apart. Life is too short, and we simply don't get to know, usually, how much of it we have left. Marlene was given the wonderful gift of time to get this right, but most of us don't. Personally, I'd rather have no regrets. Karen in Ohiohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18002794561817071780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-17918037888073517432016-07-12T09:31:39.876-04:002016-07-12T09:31:39.876-04:00What a lovely piece, Susan. Thanks for sharing and...What a lovely piece, Susan. Thanks for sharing and I'm sorry for the loss of your friend.<br /><br />I think living through the not-so-great times makes us appreciate the better times even more. Simple things like being able to walk from B&N to Panera and back without excessive pain (which I did on Sunday - a whole 100 feet total maybe; woot!).Liz Millironhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04919409969263609919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-89487740690857476102016-07-12T08:10:56.038-04:002016-07-12T08:10:56.038-04:00Susan, so sorry for the loss of your dear friend, ...Susan, so sorry for the loss of your dear friend, but thank you for sharing. She was indeed a remarkable spirit! Kathy Reel, beauty is all around us--as Marlene shared--and our capacity to tap into that beauty is always there, too--even in the midst of tragedy. It requires only a tiny shift--a focus on the moment--and sometimes that's all we can manage in the midst of the troubles that visit our lives--devastating illness or loss--or whatever misfortune befalls us--those precious moments spent with your grand-daughter or a moment of prayer, a few kind words from a stranger--can lift us up and keep us going. Blessings to all the Red family this morning.<br /><br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-90516477419168247862016-07-12T08:08:35.987-04:002016-07-12T08:08:35.987-04:00Like Anne LaMott, yes! Lucy, I didn't make the...Like Anne LaMott, yes! Lucy, I didn't make the connection, but that's great.Susan Elia MacNealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00349842866995778987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-14537546066448270562016-07-12T07:49:40.975-04:002016-07-12T07:49:40.975-04:00Susan, thank you. Some people leave deep footprin...Susan, thank you. Some people leave deep footprints. Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.com