Life Is Beautiful: Poems of Survival After Cancer
Linda DeFeudis
CreateSpace (November 2016)

Heartfelt Observations and affirmations

A dear friend sent a copy of this book to me as a gift. It contains several heartfelt poems that her sister composed during her struggles with breast cancer, from diagnosis through treatment. Sadly, those struggles have recently resumed. I have not met Linda DeFeudis, nor have I had any direct contact with her. But her poems have revealed enough about her to convince me that, as Dylan Thomas once urged his ailing father to do, she will not “go gently into that good night.”

Her poems are best read in their entirety, preferably in sequence. However, I do wish to share her Forward:

“Just as death puts things in perspective makes us stop and consider our mortality. Cancer puts life in perspective: makes us aware of its preciousness and vulnerability.” She then adds:

“My short journey with cancer awakened my awareness and appreciation of the simple things in life.: the freshness of the air, the warmth of the sun, the ripples of the ocean, the rustling of fall leaves. Cancer, to me, heightened my sense and gratitude for things in nature, in my surroundings, in my relationships: in life in general. I am more cognizant and thankful for each breath and each new day.”

This collection of her thoughts and feelings in Life Is Beautiful, especially her affirmations, is a precious gift that I will forever cherish, And now through this brief commentary, I introduce Linda DeFeudis as my gift to you.