The Actual Dance as a play presents the events of the year 2000 from my point of view as the spouse of the woman going through breast cancer. Now, seventeen years later, it is apparent that I did not fully understand how deeply the experience impacted me. It took me 12 years to write the story, so to speak, and the last nearly 5 years I have been telling it through performances of the play. Every October I blog daily to help in raising awareness and to share elements of the story that I hope are of value to those who read these blogs. (All quoted lines are text from the play.)
Day 25 Susan’s Birthday. “Susan. Susan Meryl Kalmans. That is her maiden name. I can remember the first time I ever even noticed Susan. … We were just 16 years old.”
I have known Susan 56 years! As it turns out Susan was 55 years old during her first year of treatment. The Actual Dance is about events that happened during her 55th year. It was a year when the future was uncertain. Indeed, I did not believe she would survive. Susan’s Mother had died at the age of 56 from metastasized breast cancer; and my mother had died at the age of 66 from metastasized breast cancer. “I know how this story is going to end, there is not going to be a good out come here.” is another line from the show. So the spoiler alert. Susan is alive and well.
Susan today, October 25th, 2017, on her 72nd birthday, will get up and go to the gym for a 6 am spinning class. She exercises six days a week
We had our Golden Anniversary in 2016. Check out the poem and the song and like our Golden Anniversary page on Facebook.
Much of my life is now spent telling the story of my life during her 55th year. And on her birthday – this 72nd year, I am so thankful that she is still alive and well and we are living out a full life.
Stat of the Day: Susan was born on 25th October 1945. Her age is Seventy-two years. About 298000 other babies were born on that day, what are the odds of us finding each other!
Task of the Day: Wish Susan Happy Birthday by making a donation to her next Avon39 Walk for Breast Cancer which will be in Washington DC in 2018. This will be her 17th Avon Walk. She will have walked 673.2 miles when she completes this walk. Click here to donate!
Resource of the Day: Everything you ever wanted to know about your birthday: here and here and here
The Actual Dance: Performances. Donate.
Day 25 Susan’s Birthday. “Susan. Susan Meryl Kalmans. That is her maiden name. I can remember the first time I ever even noticed Susan. … We were just 16 years old.”
I have known Susan 56 years! As it turns out Susan was 55 years old during her first year of treatment. The Actual Dance is about events that happened during her 55th year. It was a year when the future was uncertain. Indeed, I did not believe she would survive. Susan’s Mother had died at the age of 56 from metastasized breast cancer; and my mother had died at the age of 66 from metastasized breast cancer. “I know how this story is going to end, there is not going to be a good out come here.” is another line from the show. So the spoiler alert. Susan is alive and well.
Susan today, October 25th, 2017, on her 72nd birthday, will get up and go to the gym for a 6 am spinning class. She exercises six days a week
We had our Golden Anniversary in 2016. Check out the poem and the song and like our Golden Anniversary page on Facebook.
Much of my life is now spent telling the story of my life during her 55th year. And on her birthday – this 72nd year, I am so thankful that she is still alive and well and we are living out a full life.
Stat of the Day: Susan was born on 25th October 1945. Her age is Seventy-two years. About 298000 other babies were born on that day, what are the odds of us finding each other!
Task of the Day: Wish Susan Happy Birthday by making a donation to her next Avon39 Walk for Breast Cancer which will be in Washington DC in 2018. This will be her 17th Avon Walk. She will have walked 673.2 miles when she completes this walk. Click here to donate!
Resource of the Day: Everything you ever wanted to know about your birthday: here and here and here
The Actual Dance: Performances. Donate.
RSS Feed
