Back to the sandy shoreline for this new diptych. I've called this one 'Grit'. It was a word that kept popping into my head yesterday when I was back at my chemo unit for my six-weekly appointment. An ongoing fixture on my calendar for some time to come.

Even though I am now three months post treatment, I always have to find that grit inside myself to walk through those doors. The emotional and physical side effects of this past year are still incredibly raw, often surprising in their intensity and regularly unyielding. I'm also having to learn how to walk alongside the fear of the cancer returning- a menacing, lingering shadow that I suspect will be hovering around for a while yet.

So I'm adding 'Grit' to my collection of 'lighthouse' words that I've spoken about in previous posts. It sits well, I think, with the other guides that I've chosen to help me navigate my way through this tumultuous voyage of treatment and recovery: Determination. Perserverance. Patience. Clarity. And now, Grit. They all have their part to play.