ANDREA MALINSKY MASON
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​ELEMENTS
Picture
​Andrea is an accomplished writer and former executive who
fought FOR
nearly two years to overcome advanced, metastatic
breast cancer at age 31. During and following this profound time in
her life, she CAPTURED her emotions THROUGH collages and poetry.
After many years, ​she assembled ​the collection to create her book,
"Chemical Butterfly, poems and collages: My Battle as a Cancer Survivor."

Cancer has neither defined Andrea nor become the focal point of her life,
​but HAS enlightened her in MANY ways. SHE BEGAN her blog, "Elements,"
TO EXPLAIN the CATALYSTS BEHINd her work,
SHARE personal experiences,
and CONVEY lessons SHE HAS learned throughout her journey.

​PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT ON ANY POINTS THAT RESONATE WITH YOU.

IS KNOWING THE FUTURE A BENEFIT OR A CURSE?

10/21/2018

2 Comments

 
“Infuse your life with action. Don't wait for it to happen. Make it happen. Make your own future. Make your own hope. Make your own love. And whatever your beliefs, honor your creator, not by passively waiting for grace to come down from upon high, but by doing what you can to make grace happen yourself, right now, right here on Earth.”     -- Bradley Whitford

i  have often wished a piece of my future would be revealed to me so I would know my purpose and what would become of my life.  I wanted someone or something to give me a sign that would outline the steps I should take to fulfill my destiny.  I questioned whether I was doing the right things to justify my existence, if I should be doing more, or if doing less was good enough.  Should I be angry about unfortunate events and blame others for my misfortune or do what I can to change the circumstances?  These questions arise as a result of our privileges and our challenges.  

For a long time I was bitter that I was diagnosed with cancer that took nearly two years to eradicate.  And, when my treatment was over, that I had to live with significant challenges cancer survivors face. i saw myself as a diluted, less impressive version of my pre-cancer self and thought these and many other post-treatment situations were unfair. However, I just celebrated my 50th birthday and today is my 16th anniversary of being cancer-free -- two milestones which I didn’t think I’d see. and, despite my hurdles, I consider myself lucky.

My resolve, positive attitude, competitive nature, and humor help get me through tough times.  But equally (if not more) important is the overwhelming amount of love and help I received, and continue to receive, from countless people, including doctors, companies, family, friends, and complete strangers who choose to step outside their own situations to lessen the burden of another.  This recurring phenomenon bolsters my faith that positive energy truly fuels our existence.

With the benefit of hindsight I wouldn’t change one thing about my life. If someone told me 30 years ago the crosses I was destined to bear, I probably would have lived too fearfully, too cautiously.  A neat and definitive map would only give me permission to mask my fears, prevent me from learning and experiencing all that life has to offer, and enable me to function in a myopic state with a big heart, but nowhere near as big as it is today.  

Nobody knows for sure why we are all here.  nevertheless, i believe we have a responsibility to behave lovingly and justly because, despite our individual plights, many are living with more difficult situations that are not always obvious.  living nobly enhances our finite time on the planet and strengthens the positive energy we contribute to the universe. Life is neither neat and clean nor easy. It’s messy and confusing with no guarantees about the future. Challenges always arise but during these times I make every effort to stay true to my principles.  By doing so, I trust my actions and behavior will determine the summary of my life and it will be good.

​My husband says, “Life is a series of habits and experiences so make your habits intentional and your experiences amazing.”  With these words in mind, everyday I try to live the gifts I have been given and help more people than have helped me. In short, who I believe I am will dictate what I will become.
2 Comments
Richard Malinsky link
10/22/2018 12:54:12 pm

I admire your ability to fearlessly examine all aspects of your incredible journey. Your Elemenys blog is beautifully written and a wonderful compliment to the book.

Reply
Andrea Mason link
10/22/2018 07:57:49 pm

Thank you so much! My goal is to always elicit that impression. I'm glad you are enjoying it. Thank you for reading!

Reply



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