I LOVE capturing the "moment". I have picture all throughout my residence. Pictures of the days in the Life of our Family. Naturally, I have pictures of all the events I mentioned earlier. As, I look at those pictures...Me smiling...Carefree...Enjoying that FAMILY time together...My biggest concern, "What to WEAR to each event?" I look at myself in those pictures...Tonya b.b.c.(Before Breast Cancer)...I look at my breasts...NEVER knowing...What did Ricky Riccardo say to Lucy ALL the time..."Lucy, You got some explaining to do!"...(For the young...The show was..."I Love Lucy"). But, that's JUST what I want to say to my BREASTS in those photos...
We ALL look back. And, MANY of us say to ourselves..."What could I of done differently?"...Oh my God, "Did I REALLY do that?" (That's a personnal favorite of mine,haha!)..I'm just being HONEST!...Some memories make us laugh...Others, "cringe"...But, those memories make up the "fabric" of our lives...(Remember that old commercial, "Cotton" the fabric of our lives?") So, I LOOK back...To the way things were, b.b.c (before breast cancer)...My Life...Not with regret...Just reflecting...You ALL know REGRET is SO counterproductive...
And, I've decided...
ALL things are in DIVINE Order. I'm SO much BETTER than before! New, and IMPROVED...All thanks to Breast Cancer! I volunteer with Breast Cancer Organizations...I've been a Guest Blogger for LBBC.ORG-( Living Beyond Breast Cancer). They are doing GREAT things for women with this disease! Check them out! I'm even featured in their new magazine that was released last October, "Getting Connected" African Americans Living Beyond Breast Cancer". We did the Photo Shoot at Navy Pier, Grand Ballroom. I've SHARED my STORY with others for the Chicago Metropolitan Breast Cancer Task Force- To RAISE awareness and, FUNDS for the IBCCP Program. (The Medicaid funded Program that SAVED my Life!). And, to draw ATTENTION to the racial disparities that exist for Women of Color with DIAGNOSIS and SURVIVAL from this disease. So, I've been BUSY...I volunteer with Mercy, in the OIS DEPT. (Outpatient Infusion Services-Chemo Central!), when a "sister in pink" is having TROUBLE coming to terms with...I tell the nurses to call me...And, I do what I can...
I've made LIFELONG friends...My Pink Sisters...That I LOVE...SUPPORT...ENCOURAGE (and they me!). "AMAZING" Women-I NEVER would have met, unless I had this disease...
NOW, don't think, this is my own personnal TRIBUTE to myself, and the things I've done...I say this to you ALL, so you will KNOW...For a girl whose biggest CONCERN was- "What should I wear?". BREAST CANCER put things in PERSPECTIVE...Gave my Life a TRUE purpose...Meaning...
I remember all so well the day that you reported to me that you felt a lump on your breast, I had the worse feeling ever experienced and I said to my co-worker, my sister has Breast CA, Im just not feeling good about this. I decided then that if it was a positive diagnosis, I would become your chemo partner and do everything within my power to make this as easy for you as possible. When "we" got "our" diagnosis, I pulled my little prayer team together, Dustin (8th grade) and Ryann (3rd grade) and we sent some powerful prayers to the heavens for your recovery. Now tell me that prayer doesn't work! I did ask, why my sister, but I know now, for you to be a blessing for others coming behind you. Your passion for this issue is evident in all that you do, keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteWhat did Sam Cooke sing?..."That's why I LOVE you SO...Yeah, yeah yeah, I want the world to know"! And, my Prayer Team (Dust&Ry!)I'm so GLAD "we" made it through...I've told you often about that, "we" sh--!xoxo!
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