A FRIEND...IN NEED!

If you are anything like me...
You've HEARD things like this,
All your LIFE.

"In each LIFE...A little RAIN must FALL"
"It's ALWAYS darkest BEFORE the DAWN"

From "well meaning"...
Parents,
Grandparents.

Although,
When I was DIAGNOSED with Breast Cancer...
It DIDN'T rain...
IT POURED!

But, I've LEARNED,
There IS truth...
In ALL those OLD sayings.

On one such RAINY Day...
During my Chemotherapy,
I was feeling OVERWHELMED!
So, I drove to Mercy Hospital...
For a Breast Cancer Support Group.

As LUCK would have it...

It was the WRONG Day!

And...With TEARS welling up in my eyes...
THREATENING...To "spill" out...
The Nurse said, "Wait!"

There IS a Class in the Conference Room,

Called, "Look Good...Feel Better"

The Class is given by The American Cancer Society.

She went on to say...
"It teaches women going THROUGH Chemotherapy,"
How to "camouflage"...
The LOSS of your...
Hair...Eyebrows...Eyelashes.
Make-Up Classes.

NOT quite what I had in mind!

But...at the very LEAST,
There would be Women,
Who LOOKED like ME...
BALD,
And, ENDURING Chemotherapy.
(Yes...I ENDURED!)

So...I took...

A LEAP OF FAITH!

There were at least six women there.

In EVERY color of the Rainbow.

I "gravitated" towards a "Sister" who was there.
Who "appeared" even sicker than me!

She LAUGHED...TALKED...
Had FUN with her Make-Up!

Virginia.
(She won't mind me using her "real" name!)

We spoke...
Didn't exchange numbers.
But, when I returned home,
I mentioned her to my daughter.

At the next Support Group...
(Finally, had the date right!)

There she was.

We became "fast" friends!

Virginia had 1 Round of Chemo left...
I had 3...(I have to admit...just a "little" jealous!)
She was ALMOST done!

We DISCOVERED...
We had ALOT in COMMON.

Our Daughters are around the same age...

Both Of Us...

PROFESSIONAL,
STRONG,
INDEPENDENT,
(Did I mention...OPINIONATED?)
Women!

"Struggling" with CANCER.

DEALING...
With the RECENT LOSS...
Of OUR Moms.

NOW...

We're "Sisters"
(In EVERY sense!)

WE LAUGH,
WE CRY,
WE PRAY,
Together!

WE ENCOURAGE,
WE UPLIFT,
WE SUPPORT,
Each Other!

(It DOESN'T go AWAY after Treatment is OVER!)

We SHARE...ALL that we HAVE.

I have a FRIEND...

FOR LIFE!

Who has WALKED in my SHOES.
Who has ALSO come THROUGH...
VICTORIOUS!
On the "Other" Side,
Of Breast Cancer.

Who QUITE Simply Put...

UNDERSTANDS!

A FRIEND...INDEED!

Until Next Time...

"A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend,
who sticks closer than a brother"
Proverbs 18:24