I have followed Susie Lindau’s Wild Ride blog since the first time I stumbled upon it.
Why? She is a force of energy and enthusiasm. She launches at life, embracing adventure, challenges, and victory.
Under The Wild Child tab on her site, she offers a sampling of her adventures and she closes with these words:
“Come for the ride. Stay for the adventure.”
What’s not to love about that statement? I can’t think of a thing. Bonus! It is oh-so-Susie. It’s how she lives life.
Susie is on my mind today. She’s on the minds and in the prayers of many blog followers, family, and friends today.
Today is the day of The Next Big Step in her journey to kick breast cancer in the @$$. Today is the day she undergoes a double mastectomy. Today is the day she joins a club no one asks to join, but — for those catapulted into qualifying — become grateful to retain long-term membership.
Today is the day Susie completes the next step in her initiation into the Breast Cancer Survivor club.
She’s posted about her journey-to-date with honesty, humor and more guts than one would think that petite body could hold.
To read the first Boob Report from Susie, click here for Roadblocks and U-Turns. You can bounce from there to the second installment, The Boob Report – Laughter is the Best Medicine.
A direct note to Susie…
Susie:
For today and the days ahead, I’ll ping best wishes and prayers and hugs from the stars over Texas to those same stars over Boulder, Colorado.
When I think of you, I think adventure, spirit, guts, fun, humor, winner, courage, spit-fire, Wild Child, unflappable, life, energy, caring, honor, photographer, carpe diem, joie de vivre, conqueror…
Stellar. Humane. Human.
Don’t put on that princess crown, yet. I also think “crazy as a drunk chipmunk” when I recall your New Year’s plunge into icy Colorado waters.
I have faith your journey will have a happy ending.
I believe your willingness to share that journey will raise the courage meter for others who face or may someday face a difficult decision — run up on a speed bump masquerading as a Rocky Mountain Foothill.
You are an inspiration.
Take time to heal. I can not fathom the adventures your noggin will plan while your body is busy healing.
Wild Ride, indeed! {{{Cyberhugs!}}}
p.s. I would have included a picture of your flower pots, but that copyright lingo you have on your blog scared the gee-willakers out of me. You are not down for the count, and I can not run fast enough to outpace you should you decide I “done wrong.”
If you know Susie leave a comment for her. If you don’t know her, leave a note of encouragement if you’re so inclined. If you don’t yet follow her, hop over using the links to The Boob Reports. She has the gumption to conquer this on her own. She is too admired to have that option.
Gloria Richard 
Well said!
Thanks, Gingerfightback!
I wrote this faster than any other post. I think it’s because there are so many #susiestrong traits to admire.
There are! Can only wish her the best of luck and regards to all her family as well.
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Beautifully Stated. 🙂
Thank you for the invitation to be part of the Susie Strong fans parade.
Gloria … that is indeed a sorority none of us wish to join. LIke a trip we never planned to tak … leaving home tough and the journey back home is tougher. Thanks for highlighting Susie’s journey for us .
Susie: I don’t know you. But today my thoughts and prayers are with you 🙂
In one of Susie’s posts on this she said that — when attending charity events with Breast Cancer Survivors — she’d sit and think, I’m a yeast infection survivor.
That’s a sample of the voice Susie brings to this journey.
I have a feeling you’d connect with her spunk and spirit.
Dear Susie,
You don’t know me, and tho your name is familiar, I’m not certain we’ve even been cyber-introduced.
Three days ago, I celebrated 7 years remission. Not from breast cancer, but a long-term chronic illness that stole much in terms of body, mind and spirit.
Recovery happens. You will survive, you will win, you will heal, and you will kick butt once again, and inspire all the more, because your journey has brought you more in tune with the rhythm of life.
God bless you and your family. Stay Strong, Susie.
Thanks for your own survivor JuJu, Sherry.
I didn’t know you then — pre-remission — but the survivor is a strong, confident, kick-@$$, funny woman.
Your affinity with Wildflowers – delicate, beautiful, but strong – is so you!
Great Gloria. Susie is an inspiration.
Cheers
She is, indeed, Nigel.
Thanks for the visit and the Susie Strong support.
Nice Gloria… I have a feeling that Susie is writing a blog right now…
http://tedstrutz.com/2013/05/31/susie-strong-meet-the-wild-child/#comment-3621
You may be right, Ted.
It’s still 55 minutes until “go” time in Colorado. Maybe the anesthesiologist has already arrived with her pre-surgery happy juice. [The only part of a colonoscopy I look forward to…for the two minutes before I go night-night.]
Thanks for the link to your post. You did a stellar post on Susie!
Great way to cheer on our Susie! I love your collection of stars over Texas headed towards Boulder. Beautiful!
Hey, Jess! Thanks for the visit.
I ping off the stars all the time. Seriously. I do.
I love looking at night skies and thinking those same stars shine over the homes of people I love who are far away. So, I send my own little thought pings.
In my imaginary world, the recipient gets a sudden sense of well-being. I love my imaginary world. You should visit sometime.
Or, not.
You may be too young. 😉
Beautiful, spot on tribute, Gloria! I wonder if all of our jabber about her today will give her extra loopy dreams during surgery. 😉
Thanks for the visit and compliments, August.
Susie makes it easy to write a SUSIE STRONG blog.
My biggest fear is that I’d pipe up with some of my loopy dreams during surgery. 😉
Great post! I have also been following Susie’s blog about this and my thoughts and prayers are with her. She will beat this!
You bet she’ll beat this!
And, why am I not getting notices about your blog? I signed up! I have a honking long password stored…
Somewhere. I think I need to bebop over and make sure I didn’t goof.
Yes. I goof.
Sometimes.Often.I’m putting up a new post shortly! Sign up again! I love my followers!
I love this post, Gloria!! And good job coming out of globination. 🙂
Testing, one…two…three…
Globination.
Yup! Just as expected. It has a red squiggly. Which means…
I L-O-V-E it and will shamelessly steal it.
Thanks for the visit and the compliments, Jenny.
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I’m not even sure when I started following Susie’s Blog or how I got there (My guess? Probably Jenny Hansen or Natalie). Either way, she’s a fantastic, generous, spirited woman…and I have no doubt she’ll kick cancer where it hurts.
You know, I don’t recall how I found Susie either, Kitt. Most likely through ping-back love or comments on one of the blogs I already follow.
It’s how I found you, right?
We find those we were meant to find. Connect with those who pop our kettle corn.
Here’s to a 36 point and bold version of that last sentence in your comment.
Absolutely… To everything you said!
It’s been truly heartwarming to read all of the Susie Strong posts that sprang up yesterday. Y’all are such an amazing and supportive tribe. I don’t know Susie like so many of you do, but I’m sending her healing vibes for a swift recovery.
Susie is a stellar, strong woman, Tami.
Being able to be part in her support and well-wish and star-ping team was an honor. I’m humbled by the courage and humor she brought to the fight with the Big C.
Well said, Gloria. Heading over to Susie’s home on the net.
It’s a blog worth following, Carole.
She forces her boundaries to many things I hope to do, or have already done in my imaginary world.
I finally found you here in the blogging world! Yay! I love your Susie Strong post. You are the coolest chick in the universe. Lots of love to you as well as Susie.
YIPPEE, Tameri! So glad you found my humble glob.
Thanks for the SUSIE STRONG love.
I am hoping DFWCon kicked my procrastinate strategy for blogging in the rear. I am also hoping there was an agent at DFWCon who is desperately trying to find my contact Intel.
Gloria! I have been seeing and feeling all kinds of pings from Texas! Thank you so very much for this amazing post. I really do believe that my good prognosis is because of you and everyone else who prayed and sent positive energy my way! I am so grateful and will never really be able to express my thanks…but thank you!!!!! (((((hugs back)))))
I am sending pings from Boulder. Do you feel them???
SUSIE! Those pings are tickling the corners of my mouth. I think it’s called a big ole’ smile in some circles, but I know what’s giving me the warm and fuzzy happy feeling.
It is SO good to hear from you, cutie.
If you don’t comment on this reply, I understand. You’re likely busy thanking the blog-o-verse of #SUSIE STRONG fans.
Or, plotting your next adventure.
Once started, the star pings and prayers don’t have a project end date, btw. Just so you know…
You are so very cool Gloria! Now I need to rest again…. 🙂
Great post! I LOVE that line: “Come for the ride. Stay for the adventure.”
Gloria … dear Gloria ~ you always say things with the best combination of laugh-out-loud + heartfelt-to-the-core. I’m sure there’s a good word for that. I’m VERY behind in my blog reading but so glad I finally got to this one. Our #SusieStrong is an amazing woman and your message captures that perfectly! Can’t wait to see you in Atlanta and give you a big squeeezy hug – yup!
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