52...

I've had TIME to SAVOR it...
Yes...It Happened...
What you might ask?

At 4:54 p.m.,on August 19th...

I Gracefully, turned... 52 years old!
(It is by His Grace, that I did!)

Is 52 one of those MILESTONE years to CELEBRATE?

For Instance...

The way you CELEBRATE when you turn...

21...30...or the "BIG" 50?

NO...It's NOT!

But when you are a Breast Cancer SURVIVOR...

EVERY Birthday thereafter...
IS a MILESTONE!
EVERY Birthday is a REASON...
To CELEBRATE!

"It's my Birthday...It's my Birthday...
Going to PARTY...Like it's my Birthday..."

Now, That I've gotten that OFF my chest...

I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer at age 49.

Because of God's GRACE...
I CONTINUE to LIVE...
BEYOND my intial diagnosis.

And, I have an OBLIGATION...

To LIVE...
For ALL the Women...
Who DIDN'T!

Before my Diagnosis...

Birthdays?...

Were NO big deal!

But...50?

Was going to be CELEBRATED...With a "BANG"!

ALL the "Bells, and Whistles"...

I was planning a TRIP...Of a LIFETIME!

But, God had made, "other" plans for my life.

I spent my FIFTIETH Birthday...

RECOVERING...

From my FOURTH Round of Chemotherapy.
(NOT quite the TRIP, I had in mind!)

My daughter TRIED, to take me to Dinner.
She wanted SO BADLY for me to MARK the occasion.

Do I really need to tell you how that TURNED out?

So... My 52nd?

Was spent with GOOD Friends...
And, "Killa" Margarita's!

After All...

I've got some CATCHING up to do!

My youngest Sister, Nannette...

To commerate the occasion...

Sent me a card EVERYDAY,

Leading up to my Birthday.

What a BLESSING...

For her to CELEBRATE...ME.

CELEBRATE...My LIFE.

To CELEBRATE...My TRIUMPH...

Over CANCER!

My FAVORITE...Of  all the cards she sent, said...

"To HELL with what ANYONE thinks about it.
The ONLY person you have to answer to,satisfy,
Is YOU!"

I BELIEVE...

I've just FOUND my NEW Philosophy...For LIFE!

Until Next Time...

Enjoy Life While You Have It!
"Go,eat your bread with JOY,
And, DRINK your wine with a MERRY heart!"
Ecclesiastes 9:7

"Also do not take to HEART everything people say..."
Ecclesiastes 7:21

It Is Written...
And, SO IT IS!

On This Journey...

I've met so Many INCREDIBLE Women,
On THIS Journey.
I LOVE Them ALL like Sisters.

We are ALL part of a UNIQUE...
"Pink" Sisterhood.
Membership INTO this Community...

You're CHOSEN.
You DON'T get to APPLY...
The FEE...

Until you've "passed" this way,
You DON'T...
You CAN'T...

Understand how we STRUGGLE...
To get our LIVES...Back on Track.
To just LIVE afterwards.

SOME of Us...

Have Families that...
ADD "Stress"..."Strive"...
To OUR Lives.
While we TRY to HEAL.

SOME of Us...

Have Spouses, Boyfriends, Partners...
That have "abandoned" Us,
Because of THIS Disease.
(Too MUCH for them to Handle...Really?)

SOME of Us...

Have Children that DISOBEY...
BILLS that go UNPAID.
While we FIGHT to ...
Beat the Breast Cancer in OUR Bodies.

You DEAL with ALL This...
In ADDITION to TRYING to "Reclaim"...
Your Life.
(And, you thought the HARDEST Challenge was the Disease!)

Until you've WALKED...
In OUR Shoes...

Unless you've "passed" this way...
You DON'T...
You CAN'T...

Understand HOW Breast Cancer,
This Disease.
Leaves SCARS...
That will take a LIFETIME...
To HEAL.

SOME of Us...

Have had YEARS of Remission...

We CONSTANTLY...Pray...Pray...Pray!

Then the UNTHINKABLE Happens...

The CANCER...Returns!

Unless you've "passed" this way...
You DON'T...
You CAN'T...

PLEASE Pray for ONE of My Sisters!

Until Next Time...

"For you have ARMED me with STRENGTH for the BATTLE"...
2 Samuel 22:40

For By His Grace...

There are times in EACH of OUR Lives,
Whether you've been DIAGNOSED,
With Breast Cancer...

OR...

Some other "Life Changing" Event...

That once it's ALL over,
(The treatment at least!)

Your LIFE returns to NORMAL...
(Or a reasonable facsimile of!)

And, due to the NEW challenges,
You Face...

Whether it's a RESULT of Treatment...
Lingering "side effects".

There ARE days when you begin...
To feel "SORRY", for "Poor Me".

But, on THOSE days...

The Lord ALWAYS tells me to...

LOOK AROUND...

And, on one occasion I saw a woman, "struggling"...
To walk, from a Stroke...

A man whose BLIND...Attempting...
To "navigate" his way across the street...

And, "Poor Me"...
REALIZED...
That ONLY by His GRACE...
Go I!

I HAD Breast Cancer.
My LIFE has CHANGED.
There ARE Differences...
I've HAD to ADJUST to.

And, YES ...
If I ALLOWED it...
Feeling "sorry" for Myself...
COULD become as ROUTINE as Breathing.

Then I LOOK UP...

See a Homeless Man..."Asking" for Change...
Living from Hand to Mouth...
And, AGAIN...I Realize...
That ONLY by His GRACE...
Go I!

I HAD Breast Cancer.

My LIFE has CHANGED.
But, I CONTINUE to SURVIVE.
I CONTINUE to THRIVE.

And, AGAIN I Realize...

I AM THANKFUL...Because...
ONLY by His GRACE...

Go I!

Until Next Time...

"For by GRACE you have been SAVED through FAITH,
and that NOT of YOURSELVES; it is the GIFT Of GOD"...
Ephesians 2:8

Out Of The Ashes...

I have a group of "Sistahs"...
ALL Breast Cancer Survivors.
We are 20 or more STRONG!

Knowing them...
Has HELPED to preserve my Sanity!

To have a SUPPORT System of STRONG,
INDEPENDENT WOMEN...

Who just like ME...

Have ENDURED the UNIMAGINABLE.

Able to STAND...

LOOK Cancer right in the FACE...

And, PROCLAIM...

"You've given me your WORST"...

"But, I'm...STRONGER...BETTER"...

"You DID NOT WIN!"

Now "ARMED",

With a Network of STRENGTH behind me,

That IF I Falter...

Sharing OUR Stories...OUR Talents...

We EACH Individually have SO much to OFFER.

To be ABLE to..."Lay your BURDENS down".

Without FEAR...No Judgement!

We've SHARED ...

Triumphs...Tragedy...

In an effort to HEAL each other.

This "Sisterhood" has made my Breast Cancer Journey...

A Journey of EPIC Proportions!

MONUMENTAL Discovery.

That from OUR collective Sacrifices...

Out of those ASHES...

A PHEONIX...Has EMERGED!

OUR Circle...
(Those "rams" in the bush the Lord has provided for me!)

Keeps  GROWING...Keeps TEACHING...

Keeps REMINDING Me...

That no matter what I've been through...

What I've LOST...

I'm STILL WHOLE...

All I have to do is LOOK at my "Sistahs"...

That SURROUND Me...

Until Next Time...

"Which you do well to heed as a LIGHT that SHINES in a DARK place."
2 Peter 1:19