Ring the Bell

 

Ring the Bell

When a patient finishes a round of radiation treatment, there is a tradition that is carried out.  The patient is allowed to ring a large brass bell hanging on the wall in the waiting room.  They have passed by that bell many times on their way to the treatment room. It gives them something to look forward to.   It symbolizes the end of a journey.  I recently was privileged last week to watch my friend ring that glorious shiny bell, and it wasn’t her first rodeo.  The sound was deep and resounding.  It was sweet, yet bittersweet.  The fact that someone has to have radiation at all is not joyful, yet the end of the treatment itself is a joyous time.  With no certainty that the patient won’t have to return again for the same treatment in the future, it still is a mark of accomplishment.  It signifies another hurdle has been cleared in the race against the dreadful cancer cells.  My brother-in-law will also be ringing a similar bell in his place of treatment on Monday as he completes a series of 24 proton radiation treatments.

 Everyday many people are ringing a victory bell.  It is a victory, however, just to survive a stage 4 diagnosis with determination to endure the ever-present disease.  A disease that evades the researchers for cures and mutates into other monstrosities to avoid the current treatments.  The number of lives affected by cancer, whether patients, caregivers, friends and family members or children, is astounding.  I am constantly in awe of the warriors, alive and deceased, who never give/gave up. They tolerate the side effects of toxic drugs, surgeries and procedures, constant pain, radiation, chemotherapy, physical therapy, never-ending doctor appointments, a port, blood draws, numerous scans, and setbacks.  They deserve to ring a brass bell and a whole lot more!

Tammy Harvey

7/10/2026

Summer

 

Summer

As spring slowly surrendered to summer,

It carried with it a sense of slumber,

We counted down the days until school was out,

On the final day, we exited with a celebratory shout!

Sleeping late with no homework and swimming in the pool,

Riding bikes, skipping rocks and never lamenting school,

As children, we ran barefooted, footloose and fancy-free,

Drinking from the water hose and climbing in tall trees,

Going fishing, collecting rocks and creating paint-by-number,

Playing freeze tag, getting tan, nothing would encumber,

Outside, in the dark, we looked up at the stars,

Chasing fireflies tirelessly and putting them in our jars,

Looking for four-leafed clovers, lying face down in the grass,

We sat quietly among the moss and sticks and began to remember our class,

Then we longed to see our classmates as summer drew to a close,

Desires of our heart had changed, with the season, I suppose,

You can’t have your cake and eat it too, as “they” always say,

I never understood what that saying meant anyway!

Counting down the days until our new school year began,

Excited to see everyone together once again,

We returned to school in the fall without much hesitation,

Yet summer had provided a fun-filled time of recreation.

Tammy Harvey  4/27/2026

Little Things

 

Little Things

Did you ever stare into the clouds to see what shapes they made?

Or gather under an oak tree to cool off in the shade?

Did you run around barefooted until your feet were tough,

Or eat wild blackberries off the vine until you’ve had enough?

Did you spend hours on the grass looking for a four-leafed clover,

Or blow onto a dandelion to spread the seeds all over?

Did you find flat rocks on the bank to skip across the water?

Did you know that a single rock is special to an otter?

Have you ever heard complete silence, a very intriguing sound?

Or treasured a beautiful seashell that you looked for, and you found?

Have you stood beside the ocean and watched the sun come up?

Or welcomed a dog to lick your face when it is just a pup?

Have you watched the wind wave the flag high upon the pole?

Did you lose your voice screaming as your team scored the winning goal?

Have you watched a bird build a nest just outside your window?

Has your heart ever skipped a beat when the music hit a crescendo?

Did looking at old photographs ever make you sigh?

All these things are happiness and let me tell you why,

It’s the littlest things that matter in the bigger scheme of life,

They all add up to enormous satisfaction, despite the usual strife.

Tammy Harvey

6/15/2026

Siblings and Strawberries

 

Picking Strawberries

There is a story still told to us,

Of how my mother and her siblings got in a fuss,

While picking strawberries for a neighbor nearby,

Little Julia ultimately began to cry,

Because she had eaten too many and her belly hurt,

My Uncle Jim said, “Let’s all help her work”,

Little sister needs to finish her row,

He said, “Let’s all help her before we go”,

Aunt Dorothy reluctantly lent a hand,

Aunt Sylvia did not quite understand,

Why did they have to do their work and hers too?

But it was hot and they had more chores to do,

 For a penny a box they picked before school,

And they tried to practice “the golden rule”,

It was a mile to walk home after they were done,

Should we assume they were having fun?!

Tammy Harvey  4/30/2026

Full Cirlce

 

Full Circle

In 2006, my youngest son and my husband were there for Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals at the RBC Arena in Raleigh.  My son was nearly 12 years old at the time.  The Carolina Hurricanes were tied with the Edmonton Oilers 3-3, going into this historic game on June 19, 2006.  Rod Brind’amour was the captain of the team.  The Canes were victorious in double overtime, and the place erupted in ear-piercing noise with buckets of confetti falling from the RBC rafters.  I have photos of the ecstasy that occurred which my husband took with his cellphone. Those photos were preserved immediately and appropriately in a scrapbook.  My husband was 48 years young at the time.  I’m sure this was one of the highlights of his life.  After all, our neighbor had graciously given him the tickets to experience this event.

Now fast forward 20 years, my youngest son is 31 and is married, living and working in Raleigh with his lovely wife.  My husband passed away in 2018 at the age of 60 from an unexpected GBM brain tumor.  He fought cancer valiantly, but in 9 months, he was no longer here.  Other dramatic changes have occurred since the first Hurricanes franchise Stanley Cup in 2006. The hockey arena is now the Lenovo Center, formerly the PNC center since being the RBC.  Rod Brind’amour, former player, is the head coach.  It has come full circle.  But some things have not changed:  

When I picked up dinner last evening only a few hours before puck drop, there was a dad and his two young sons in front of me in line.  They all wore Canes shirts of different varieties (Jarvis t-shirt, Slavin jersey).  I also had on my Canes Championship T-shirt.  We conversed shortly about the upcoming final games, and he shared that they were headed to the Lenovo Center after dinner for the Game 6 watch party.

Later that evening, as I watched our players hoist the Stanley Cup over their heads, I couldn’t help but remember how that was probably one of my husband’s favorite memories in 2006, and how that dad I met at Alpaca was also making that same memory with his own sons in 2026. It has been thrilling to watch this team bring such joy to all its fans.

Tammy Harvey

6/15/2026

Spread a Little Kindness

 

Kindness

In a world of hornets, be a honeybee,

When the sun is scorching, be a shade tree,

In the darkness of the night,

Be a bright and shining light,

It’s a choice you need to make,

Try to give before you take,

Be the shoulder that catches tears,

Calming those who have real fears,

A kind word will go a long, long way,

To make someone else’s day,

A smile, a nod, opening a door,

Can lift someone’s spirits off the floor,

In the depths of despair, be a glimmer of hope,

When someone is struggling, cast them a rope,

In turn you will find that one of these days,

The favor will return to you, in abundant ways!

Kindness doesn’t cost us anything,

But it’s worth is more than a diamond ring.

Tammy Harvey  4/27/2026

Grievances

 

Sick in a Drought

Too much television, too much phone,

Too much time being alone,

When I’m sick, I feel isolated,

When I’m sick, I am incapacitated,

A box of tissue, I’m going through,

Not to mention the sore throat too,

Feeling bad makes me feel sad,

Diamond art is what I had,

I spent my hours moving dots,

To their designated spots,

Four days now I’ve been under the weather,

Recovery seems to be taking forever,

I am not usually one to complain,

But besides this illness, we need some rain!

These are all my grievances now,

I know I will get through this somehow!

Tammy Harvey

4/18/2026