A message from Don the gardener

Hello to all my Haven friends, some of you will have noticed my disappearance from my beloved garden. It was not only the drought that drove me away!

In early July, I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I had no symptoms and this was caught through a routine FIT test. I ask you all to make sure you keep up on these tests. The medical system went into high gear and within a couple of weeks I had had a colonoscopy. Before I caught my breath from that I was called to the cancer clinic in Victoria. I was set up for a five consecutive day round of radiation treatment and then a surgery on Sept 3rd.

I am writing this from our friend Rose’s house in Brentwood Bay. I will stay with Rose all this week as I do my radiation treatments, she has been a huge support, not only housing me but driving me to and from the cancer clinic each day. I will go in at 11:40 this morning for my third treatment. The treatments are not at all uncomfortable and I am only at the clinic about a half an hour, no side effects yet and I feel fine.

On Sept 3rd at 9am I will have my surgery and I ask you all for a little prayer, however that looks for you, to help guide me through to the next chapter of my life. I expect to meet many challenges after the surgery and I keep myself very much in the moment and take each step as it comes.

I am very grounded and my faith is strong. I have many years of learning at The Haven, doing almost all the core programs, taking on many mentors over the years many of whom are gone now but live on in my heart and continue to teach me. I am walking this cancer journey hand in hand with my great hero Mark Nepo on one side and my dearest friend and mentor Ernie McNally on the other. We are traveling down this path accompanied by the sweet music of another great friend and mentor Eric Bibb.

So you can see I am in good hands. Yesterday was my 66th birthday. It was the best birthday I have ever had as I find through this challenge that I am more alive and aware of my place in the oneness of all life than I have ever been.

Please welcome my dearest friend Roz, when you see her caring for the garden I love so very much.

I will see you all in the garden in the spring 2016. There are so many wonderful friends I have met in the garden over the years I couldn’t possibly write you all so know I am doing well and am sending my love out to all of you .

Don