【推荐1】Dragon boating is a team sport that has its roots in ancient China. The boats are decorated with a dragon head and tail. In recent years, cancer survivor groups have got involved in the sport to help make friends and help rebuild their lives.

On a recent Saturday morning, a group of 20 women were on a boat in the Anacostia River in Washington DC. They moved their paddles (船桨) in rhythm with the call of a coach. The women belong to the dragon boat team GoPink!DC, which trains weekly. It also races against other breast cancer survivor teams in the Dragon Boat Festival. As a result, GoPink!DC won medals in this Washington dragon boat festival.

Lydia Collins joined the team five years ago after finding out she had breast cancer. “I was told by my doctor that I developed breast cancer. I was depressed because of my illness — I lost all interest in life and wouldn’t even get out of bed to eat. But now I love the team spirit. I just love everything about it. It is like a floating support group on the water.” The paddlers are breast cancer survivors and their supporters.

Annette Rothemel helped set up the group in 2006. She is a researcher of the National Institutes of Health as well as a breast cancer survivor. “It is sort of an easy entry sport because on the same boat people at different levels can be doing the same sport.” But Ms Rothemel says dragon boating can be physically demanding, especially for someone who is sick and getting treatment for cancer.

“It’s hard but I think you have to challenge yourself in life. This is something I look forward to. I get to be out here with my sisters and supporters that understand what I’m suffering and help motivate me. So it makes me stronger and it makes me feel better.” another cancer survivor Rhonda Hartzel said.

Annette Rothemel says the cancer survivors feel a sense of sisterhood and share good times when they paddle together. She says both feelings are treasured by the team.

【推荐3】There isn’t any doubt that positive thinking is valuable after you find out you have cancer. But will positive thoughts help the cancer go away?

There have been a number of studies on this subject, but none of the studies say that positive thinking is a factor (因素) in helping cancer go away, or that negative feelings can make cancer worse.

So, is there a reason to have a positive attitude? Of course there is.

While I understand the danger of my illness, I choose not to focus on statistics (数据统计). I always imagine myself as being among the small group of patients who survive. Why do I do that? So I can sleep well; so I can plan a trip for two days from now; so I have a reason to begin writing another book with the expectation that I’ll finish it; so my husband and I can enjoy lunch out; so I can reach out to someone else who’s having a difficult time and offer them encouragement.

A positive attitude can also help family members feel better so they can contribute to a more loving family environment. Most cancer patients, as well as their family members, know all too well how dangerous cancer can be. It’s difficult to carry on when patients receive bad news. But a positive attitude helps me want to do things that I know are beneficial (有益的) to my health, and helps me through the thinning hair, tiredness and low blood counts which are the side effects of my treatment.

So, I prefer to stay happy and positive. I do my best not to think too much about all the hospital visits, and I try not to panic (惊慌) if I feel any pain. Instead, I seek joy as much as I can, and because I am seeking joy, I find joy. Being positive might not save you from cancer, but I can almost guarantee (保证) you that if you are positive, you will find meaning in your life, as well as happiness in every day that you live.

【推荐3】A Book Review — The Snake-Stone by Berlie Doherty

The setting: Urban England (the cities), but also rural England (the countryside) including remote English villages.

The theme: The main theme is a teenage search of self-discovery, in this case the search for a mother from whom the hero was separated at an early age. Its other concerns are love, getting on with others, being persistent and courageous and trying to deal with doubts, troubles and worries. As the book moves to a close, James’ swimming coach says to him: “You are not like a kid obeying instructions any more. You are diving like a young man who knows where he is going.”

The characters: James is the hero of the story. He is a championship diver, and has a comfortable life with his foster parents. Yet he also has the qualities to take him on a long journey to find his birth mother. The other characters in The Snake-Stone, James’ parents, his diving instructor, best friend, the villagers, people he meets on his journey, are pictured realistically.

The turning point: The turning point in the story comes while James’ foster parents are away in London, and he wonders about the identity of his birth mother. The only clue he has is a fossil, “the snake stone” which she left behind along with a note on which she had written: “Take good care of Sammie.” It was written on a torn envelope with parts of an address still there.

The journey: Instead of going to London, James decides to find his birth mother. With help from his geography teacher, James sets out for the remote country village where his mother might be found. James has painful, challenging, but also humorous and happy travels. The mother he finally meets, Anne, has a minor yet powerful voice in the novel. He comes to understand why she left him at a stranger’s door fifteen years before. Although the meeting is not long, it leaves him with a feeling of completeness. As a journey of self-discovery, The Snake-Stone also provides its readers with a happy ending. Its hero says, on returning to his foster parents, “I was home.”