Dear Mom,
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. The month is full of walks, drives, fundraisers, marathons, etc. I hope you take comfort in knowing that you and millions of other women are so strong and brave. Your battle with cancer was shocking and rough for all of us, but you always kept a smile were thankful for your good fortune, family and friends. You could’ve chose to let your world stop, but you didn’t miss a beat. You left work every day for your radiation treatments and came back to work afterward. Why? You needed to save your leave for your future vacations and road trips. You remained positive and thankful the entire time. Through the fatigue, the pain and the peeling skin. You didn’t complain, you didn’t fear and you didn’t let breast cancer steal your joy. I still cannot get over how brave you were.
I know many aren’t as fortunate as me or us. Some people don’t have the proper insurance or get the same great care you had. Some people don’t win their fight with cancer. Some people don’t have the same great friends and family. I’m so proud of you mom, that you never took that for granted and that you do what you can now to help other survivors and survivor’s family members.
Perhaps there simply isn’t enough room for Halloween and Breast Cancer Awareness. You and the rest of your fellow survivors deserve a year. For all your bravery, courage, grace and your resilience. To you, the other survivors, the families of breast cancer patients, the scientists, researchers, people working for funding, grant writers and the doctors, we all make up an important community. We all need to keep fighting and pushing to find a cure.