War! What is it good for? Absolutely nothing! Say it again, y'all!

There has always been something very curious to me about the notion of "fighting" Cancer.
I was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer in my early twenties and I was about 11 weeks pregnant with my only son. I was told an abortion would clear the path and was basically assured a speedy recovery. But I forged on and had my thyroid removed and waited until after I gave birth to my beautiful Jimmy, to have what would be an onslaught of various "things" to deal with. And I dealt with it.

At that time, Jimmy brought the joy. Cancer brought the pain.

I've had nearly a dozen surgeries, icky painful biopsies and lots of radiation absorbed in an effort to "kill" this Cancer. That was over 10 years ago and I'm still here and I truly don't believe it's because I fought. I believe it's because I finally surrendered.

In 2004 totally out of the blue, my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 Kidney Cancer. It was aggressive. It was not my 'easy' Thyroid cancer. It was Fast and Fatal. For nine months, this precious mother of mine was forced into "fight" mode by everyone around her. This loving, peaceful and caring mother of mine was suddenly expected to batten down the hatches and somehow FIGHT the battle of her life completely unprepared, confused and in desperate fear of dying. For nine months everybody kept saying that word. FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT--As if this EVIL cancer had been plotting and arranging for years to murder this beautiful creature, my mother. A woman who gave birth to 9 children. A woman who married my father at 19 and remained a faithful, church going wife her whole life. A stay at home mom who cooked every night and kept our little house in order day after day. Broken bones and book reports and faking sick and making wreaths with wire hangers and yarn to sell to neighbors just so we could all have a little extra at Christmas. Are you telling me that this angel of a mother is supposed to now become a soldier overnight and declare war on her precious body and soul? This didn't make any sense to me. It didn't then and it doesn't now. I lived across the street from my mom. We were best friends and neighbors. Everyday I walked across and entered the house where I grew up. It then became the house where my mom was dying. There are many gory details and I know how everyone loves the gory details but I just can't go there today. Today is just about the power of a word. The power of a moment.

Did you know that there are many precious children with Cancer being told that Cancer is a big scary monster that is trying to hurt them, so they must FIGHT this monster everyday with doctors and medicine and tests and needles? These same children lay down to sleep at night and are somehow expected to have sweet and peaceful dreams after a full day of fight, fight, fight?

If a person is sick, especially a child, I believe our only goal should be to bring them peace. Peace in their body. Peace in their soul. Peace of mind. Peace in their organs. Peace in their food. Peace in the hospital. Peace in EVERYTHING. I wonder what would happen if we used the words "peace" or "love," instead of "fight'" every time we referred to Cancer. "Never give up the Fight??" I say never give up the Peace...especially when you need it the most. There is something Radically Positive about shifting your Cancer drift. Consider this: Instead of a soldier fighting, you are a Warrior of Love. A Warrior of Peace. You sit down with your dis-ease and bring stillness to the hospital bed. You LISTEN carefully to what your body needs and feed it properly and with mindfulness. You find doctors willing to walk the path with you and behave as a kindred spirit...not depicted as a magical being whose come to slay your Cancer-Dragon. I whole-heartedly believe people really do want to help and I get the whole "fight" stance. Everyone involved is scared and doesn't want to lose this beautiful person with Cancer, so a kind of panic occurs. But I believe if you take a deep breath and quiet your mind, a new perspective can unfold. You will see that together we can absolutely integrate logical Medications with Positive Meditations and Visualizations. It's all ONE. We are all ONE. Maybe instead of standing up to it and declaring war, we can sit down with Cancer and understand how to work together. How To LIVE together. Cancer is not separate from any of us. We are all in this together.

When I brought PocketPeople to the patients at Mattel Children's Hospital last May, I saw magic. These children were little Warrior Love's. The picture of acceptance and peace. I met a little girl named Angelina. She had just had Thyroid surgery and we smiled at each other's scars. We shared a split second of pure sisterhood. It was Divine light. She was not at war. Angelina was at peace in that moment and she had God in her eyes. It was the only picture I took that day. (above) Her mom said it was alright. I don't know where she is now, but I felt then where she had been.

I don't at all feel we should abandon finding a cure for Cancer. Nor would I suggest that people with Cancer not seek medical treatment. I am not suggesting that Cancer should be our new BFF or any other absurdity such as this. I vividly see a world free of Cancer in the future. But until then, Cancer can be a teacher. A teacher of peace, unconditional love and Compassion. It can connect communities of people around the world. It can motivate, unite and transform all kinds of people. There is an undeniable positive side of this disease and there are many people who have turned their Cancer experiences into amazing accomplishments.

But the greatest gift (yes I said gift) that Cancer has brought to me, is a bold reminder of the importance and beauty of the only thing we ever really have...the present moment.

You can fill it with light or you can fill it with fight. I choose light.


Sigh...but I sure do miss my mom.


With deepest respect and genuine care for all people and their families living and dying everyday with Cancer. Peace be with you.

xoxo Rita Ross and The PocketPeople

PocketPeople Lady!

A cool thing about The PocketPeople and living in Santa Monica, is that I see alot of celebs. I am no fool. The message of PocketPeople is so beyond me that I am willing to walk through any door of opportunity if it may lead me to spreading their magic. I am just this instrument and the PocketPeople tell me what is needed. Sound crazy? Not to me. For ME.... It's like music;) One day at the Blue Plate, I saw Judd Apatow and his wife Leslie Mann--you know the guy who's behind hits like "Knocked Up" and other Seth Roganishy involved films. The whole family was there, even her mom. Thank goodness I had my trusty bag of PocketPeople with me.

The Apatow's have 3 adorable children (2 of whom are in "Knocked Up") and I had enough PocketPeople to go around. My husband notices them right away and tells me to go on now--give her some PP! LOL-- Well...i froze...I have like, NO idea what happened but I just had a mini panic right there-i felt myself getting really hot and nervous. It was radical! I just thought, I'll go to the bathroom and not interrupt them until they are done. Just wanna do a walk by and at least make eye contact. After much coaxing from my ever supportive hubs, I finally gulped and went over-- I took out my sweet PP's and they did all the rest. If my memory serves me, which it doesn't always, all three of her children picked little dark-skinned PocketPeople:) It was just precious. I don't know why I get so excited about that. I think it's because I am reminded how at certain ages, children just don't care. They only see the beauty in everything. They want what calls to them They listen without hesitation and pick without second guessing. It's just a thrill!

Her youngest daughter said; ''I'm going to keep her forever." Ahhhhh-- that kind of PresentMomentMagic can last me a loooong time. Thanks for listening.

Tonight was just a little Saturday night ramble. I will tell you other cute PocketPeople celeb stories whenever it's appropriate I promise. Ahhhh-- those little PP. They sure do go straight to your heart...and stay there.

xoxo Have a night as gorgeous as YOU.

“Nothing that grieves us can be called little: by the eternal laws of proportion a child's loss of a doll and a king's loss of a crown are events of the same size” Mark Twain

Best Day Ever!

Wow--it's The PocketPeople's first official Christmas card...

I wanted to write something a bit more radical but I guess since I am trying to slowly introduce myself, I better keep it light and lovely:)

Is Christmas really the best day ever? Well, it was when I was 11. I looked forward every year to promising my mom I wouldn't get up before 7 AM and that I would be SO thankful no matter what I got. Waiting by the Christmas tree, shaking the gifts--oh JOY:)

These days, I am much more thrilled to GIVE. It is truly one of the more overlooked and easy ways to quickly recharge your heart. I can't tell you how excited I get building up a special package to send to my best friend in Arkansas. I just get a medium box and start adding things. By the time Christmas comes around, I have compiled quite a varied and exciting gift! I wouldn't mind sending it to myself!

No no no...I am not one of those people who gets angry because Christmas is too commercialized and all about this or all about that. No, I think Christmas is an amazing Opportunity. It's a great excuse to be the extra shiny happy and obnoxiously delighted child that I am without people thinking I am crazy. Or do they? I can wave at strangers and ask the beautiful elderly woman in line the best way to make pie crust. I can give away PocketPeople to unsuspecting people--the grumpy people are the best! Presenting a PocketPerson to a guy whose face is filled with intensity because he had to make yet his fifth trip to the store before it closes...priceless.

I have discovered the POWER of a smile and a sincere look of compassion. Even passing the homeless guy on the corner is joyful because I know I can't fix anything for him, but I CAN smile. I CAN give him a PP. I CAN say hey, be careful out there. AND IT WORKS much BETTER than a quarter thrown in annoyance. Or turning your back and pretending they aren't there.

A little kindness goes an extremely long way. I dare you to turn your kindness channel UP and your annoyance channel DOWN and experience people from the heart.

When people say things like 'life isn't all about YOU.' it seems to always be said in anger. I personally feel the opposite..it IS all about you. Because once YOU begin to open your eyes to the glory of being---how YOU live has everything to do with how others live too. Be that mirror for your neighbor. Be that person you know you are--not just when people are looking, but when nobody can see you but yourself.

All things good to you. All things good to me. Let the sharing never end:)

“They who give have all things; they who withhold have nothing” HinduProverb

Rita and The PocketPeople

Okay, so I finally got talked into blogging last night when my husband and I were watching "Julie and Julia." I liked the movie alright, but as you get to know me, you'll understand how a mission like that is far more scary to me than say...oh...trying to change the world with little beings I like to call "PocketPeople."

My hubs, (a hairy-chested Jewish man:))) said,"you should totally be blogging about The PocketPeople."

Hmmmm...but what do I blog about? Do I talk about how it all got started, or do I just start where I am and trust the natural process? Watch it all evolve? Do I get personal or do I just keep it all PP talk?

Honestly, I kind of like the idea of people falling in love with the
PocketPeople FIRST; then start to WONDER about where they came
from, what they do and why they do it. Who are these little PocketPeople anyway?

They aren't Smurfs and they aren't Muppets. They aren't 'dolls' and they don't eat...well, at least not in my vision. But these little beings do carry a very magical energy.

Part of me believes that every true artist finds his passion by stealing little bits and pieces of every experience, every movie , every song, every painting and book and person you meet - all the hours of conversations, over-hearings, adding-ins, taking-outs. It just happens. But take it with LOVE. Take it and make it authentically something else.

I don't believe that anything is original at this point. Just a billion variations of millions of ideas and thoughts and words and emotions that have been circling the Universe for all of time. Each of us just expressing what is alive in us. If you want to, you can figure out exactly what you are meant to do. I mean precisely. This is PocketPeople to me.

Of course, I may just change my mind but for now--The PocketPeople are coming...



“A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do.” Bob Dylan