Many of you have shared inspirational stories, poems, musings...Please enjoy: From Loice: The Sixth Sense It's Alchemy The Fabric of Life The Hand of God Mother Dreams From Gary: She Taught Me About Silly Putty Sometimes ... Dear Gary Open Letter to Parents What Now That Chemo's Over? Cancer is Beatable From Others: See You Next Christmas By Nick Snow Terminal! By Pastor Brackbill, Jr. Katie, the Brave-Hearted Brianna Chantell, Angel of Grace Childhood Cancer Awareness—Jordyn's Story Dear Andrea The Duck An Essay by Morgan Family Cancer Georgiana's Story Jordie—Another Mom's Story Littlest Soldiers The Mighty Boy Morgan For Scott Sean's Poem True Value Relay for Life Stories Michael's Sash Relay For Life Photos Ben & Joshua Daniel in the Lion's Den Scott Barb's Story What Cancer Cannot Do Cancer is so limited..... It cannot cripple love It cannot shatter hope It cannot corrode faith It cannot destroy peace It cannot kill friendship It cannot suppress memories It cannot silence courage It cannot invade the soul It cannot steal eternal life It cannot conquer the spirit. —Source Unknown The Ultimate Source of Encouragement Flight attendants give these instructions to airline passengers: "For those of you traveling with small children, in the event of an oxygen failure, first place the mask on your own face and then place the mask on your child's face." In family life, parents often spend most of their time placing oxygen masks on their children's faces while the marriage relationship suffocates. The only way to have a strong family is to make sure that husband and wife keep the oxygen supply of love flowing strong between them. —Merle Mees, Topeka, Kansas Health News Links Bend In The Road —by Helen Steiner Rice: Sometimes we come to life's crossroads And view what we think is the end. But God has a much wider vision And He knows that it's only a bend-- The road will go on and get smoother And after we've stopped for a rest, The path that lies hidden beyond us Is often the path that is best. So rest and relax and grow stronger, Let go and let God share your load, And have faith in a brighter tomorrow-- You've just come to a bend in the road. Sent in by AJ's Mom

You Know You're the Parent of a Kid with Cancer When has been updated. Check out the new entries! You Know You're a Teen with Cancer When... Jess chimed in with her entries. Please enjoy! Already! Sarah got busy and sent some more! And now Nate! This list went from 0-90 in just three days! And Lily brings us up to the first one-hundred! You Know You're the Parent of a Kid with Cancer When... This quickly became Squirrel Tale's Flagship Piece back in 1996 (oh how I fear someone out there saved the original site graphics—they were so bright and obnoxious...) when "Skymom" signed in the guestbook with just 6 or 7 entries. Check it out to see how big it has grown. You Know You're the Babysitter of a Kid with Cancer when ... Seems like a natural result, doesn't it? Out of the Mouths of Babes... Another lighter look as parents share the things their kids have said! Squirrel Tales Family Glossary Do you know where the "Bend Over Room" is? Are you a candidate for a bone marrow transportation? How 'bout a bow & arrow transplant? Has your little one been diagnosed with zucchinia (or do you make bread with it?)? Would you stand in line to ride a donut? The answers to these questions can be found in the Squirrel Tales Glossary! Prednisone! Parents share their tales! Stinky Cheese Oh, it's tongue-in-cheek humor, but the kind of thing that you laugh so you don't cry. This Never-Ending Squirrel Tale started back in the days of the active guestbook (still working on it!) when a mom signed in with her child's misbehavior. What DO you do when you realize your sick child is spoiled silly? I don't think you'll find any answers here, but at least you're not alone... Decorate Your Hospital Room You spend a lot of time there, you might as well make it as close to home (or at least some fun) as you can! Fevers! Everything changes with a child with cancer—you can't simply put a cold compress on his or her forehead anymore ... Financial Assistance There is help out there to alleviate the financial strain. Friends Friends of the family of a child with cancer are a great source of encouragement, but sometimes they're at a loss what to do. Here are the things that helped the most ... Fund Raising Ideas Parents share some ideas that may be of help to you ... Get Creative Share the creative ways that help you and your little one wile away the time in the hospital. Honesty—it really is the best Prepare your kids for what lie ahead, if it's going to hurt, don't say it won't— Hydration— Tips for achieving and maintaining hydration levels—The sooner you start chemo, the sooner you go home! Just a Spoonful of Sugar ... Having trouble getting the meds down your kids? Here's what works for others ... Maintaining a Sense of Order How did you deal with the myriad of health care professionals streaming in and out of your room? Parents share how they coped. Nutrition-Related Topics: Loss of Appetite Nausea & Vomiting Diarrhea Mouth Sores & Difficulty Swallowing Taste Alterations Dry Mouth Recipes Platelets Learn more about platelets, their collection and how you can help. Post-Op Following any surgery when the patient is under general anesthesia, they need to inhale and exhale deeply to prevent pneumonia from setting in. Some tips to getting your kids to do it... Preventing Further Illness A "simple" cold takes on a whole new threat with your sick kids... Schools— For kids on chemo with suppressed immune systems, exposure to the regular kid stuff can be, well, deadly. So what to do about school? Should you? Shouldn't you? Do you have a choice? Here's one parent's solution, a open letter to the parents of his kid's classmates... What Now? (That Chemo's Done?) This was one of those topics that surprised me—the range of emotions and uncertainty ... Wish List One mom shares the needs of her son's hospital inpatient area. It might be something that you could incorporate for your own hospital to make the time you spend there a little less stressful.

You spend years trying to get them off the ground. You run with them until you are both breathless. They crash ... they hit the roof ... you patch, comfort and assure them that someday they will fly. Finally, they are airborne. They need more string, and you keep letting it out. They tug, and with each twist of the twine, there is sadness that goes with joy. The kite becomes more distant, and you know it won't be long before that beautiful creature will snap the lifeline that binds you together and will soar as meant to soar ... free and alone. Only then do you know that you have done your job. —EMail Find