Coffee with Patty Craig

Fifty Cups of Coffee #27: Patty Craig
Date: October 11, 2024
Location: Zoom

How we know each other

Patty and I went to high school together. When I think of Patty back in high school, I see her beaming with that big, welcoming, kind-hearted smile of hers. She was – and still is – an incredible inspiration and just all-around good human being. I was grateful for the opportunity to catch up with Patty after all these years!

What Patty is doing now

Currently, Patty lives in Gresham, Oregon, working as a wellness provider and mentor. She has two sons, ages 22 and 20.

Patty also an active force behind Sunrise Daisy, an organization whose mission is to “support the emotional, physical, and mental wellbeing of cancer survivors as they re-connect back to their lives post cancer. ”

She is working to raise funds – at least $2,000- for sunrisedaisy.org. The installations are being prepared and plans are for a spring grand opening!

Three questions

During these Fifty Cups of Coffee chats, I ask each person the same three questions. The reasoning behind each is as follows:

Question 1 – Social media makes it easy for other people to think that they know us, when truthfully, we all only see a small sliver of someone’s life and who they really are. This is the interviewee’s chance to share something that is important to them that, for whatever reason, other people may not know.

Question 2 – We all have fears, no matter who are are or where we are in life. This helps connect us and show we are all more alike than we are different.

Question 3 – I believe the answer to this question helps show each person’s true values, passions, and their why in life.

There are no right or wrong answers to any of these. I’m including each person’s answers in first person. Their answers have been edited from my notes for length and clarity, but these are their words.

What is one thing you wish more people knew about you?

“I feel like I’m a pretty light-hearted, action-oriented person, so I will shift into ‘okay how do we solve this problem, GO!’ mode. I care and feel very deeply, but people may not understand maybe the depth with which I care, and also the thinking that happens as well within this package. Because I do care deeply. I am bubbly and carefree, so sometimes I think that some of my thoughtfulness, deep thinking, and deep caring isn’t as necessarily visible to others.”

What is your deepest fear?

“My deepest fear has to do with being afraid of not being able to control what my body does and how my body responds in different situations. I’m a very sensitive person and I have had some trauma from having survived cancer as a child, so my reactions can be very extreme, or on the extreme end. I want to take on the world and try everything, but I am afraid of how my nervous system will respond in different situations and that I won’t be able to perform or handle myself and react in a way that feels safe and comfortable.”

If you had unlimited funds, what would you do with your life?

“I’d have the freedom to move around, for more travel and adventure, and still serve others and connect with community. Currently, I’m working on creating that lifestyle with limited resources but I would like to have even more freedom to travel and still build up my business online and at a distance. For me, I’m also dealing with the limitations of the body: I can only serve 1 or 2 people in person a day, through reiki massage therapy in person. But if I can connect with people online and also have freedom to move around and travel, then I will have achieved my life goals. I’m open to receiving abundance and unlimitedness but currently trying to live within the means and budget I have to work with — I call it creative financing.”

Lessons Learned

Giving back is good for the soul. Patty is constantly giving back to her community, and her work with the Sunrise Daisy organization is inspiring!
Sometimes the plan isn’t the plan – and that’s okay. Patty and I talked about different aspects of our lives that turned out differently than we had originally thought, and how in the end, it all works out for the best. For example, Alain and I are planning to move overseas, and we know that no matter how much we plan, things may not turn out how we hope they will — and we know that’s all part of the journey: being okay with shifting expectations based on changed outcomes.
There is strength in vulnerability. People often tell me how much it means to them that I am so open and vulnerable, sharing some very human, difficult moments that connect us all. But let me tell you who does this better than the rest of us: Patty. As someone who survived childhood cancer and all that comes with it – chemo, amputation, hair loss – Patty continues to inspire by not just sharing how she thrives, but also how she struggles. I admire how she shares the good and the bad of everyday life to connect with and inspire others.

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