PINKtober is a time when my favorite color reigns in its soft light. A great time to share my experiences and other women's I look up to. But pink isn't just a color, it is who I am and coincides with my personality: delicate, bubbly, full of life! There isn't a better color to represent breast cancer awareness in its femininity.
A feel a day keeps the doctor away
I had my first thorough breast exam a few months ago, when I turned 40.
My gynecologist recommended I get a mammogram. Of course, what did I have to fear ? I went in careless and was greeted by many women from all walks of life. Pleasant conversation filled the air and I left just as unconcerned as when I had arrived.
I was on vacation in Madrid when I got a call from my doctor to schedule a sonogram and an ultrasound. Though it was just a precaution to check the deeper tissues in my breasts, there was nothing truly scary behind further examination, so I continued my vacation, and a beautiful one indeed...
The pink in the sunset is a beauty that cannot be matched
Once I got back home to New York, I finally scheduled my exams but did not let negative thoughts invade my mind. When it was finally done, I had to sit... and wait. Talk about the longest 10 minutes ever, it felt like an eternity!
That's really when the doubts and worries filled my mind. How would this affect the rest of my life? I quieted those fears by reminding myself I could still do the best things with my life: be there for my children, travel the world and more. Whatever the outcome, this wasn't the end, if anything it would be a new beginning with a fresh perspective on life and how to truly live.
Ten minutes had passed. The door opened and the doctor entered. He gave me the news, I was fine. I almost embraced him!
From then on, I decided it was important to get my breasts checked regularly.
I wanted to stay on-top of my health.
I pink I can
After my exam I thought about a couple of my friends who had faced the same thing, but with less exciting news. You would never have known based on their personality though! They truly are bright and shining stars, which is proof that breast cancer is not the end of life. One wonderful lady is 45, and the other in her 60s.
Mary, the fabulous 60-something, was diagnosed with cancer last year, and rather than getting discouraged she took a completely unique approach!
She told me that she had looked at cancer as a teacher, and that rather than ruling and reigning in her life, it was a guide. Throughout this journey, Mary learned to listen to her body. Meditation and prayer was like letting the positive health and emotions enter into her body, she said. I can only admire and strive to be as optimistic as she is!
My friend Mary is very concentrated on her diet, she's given herself to nature and the beauty of it. She realized that her food was meant to nourish her body, to promote her health, not just to be full. After a year of treatment and surgery she is clean and full of enthusiasm. She looks great and feels great!
At 45, my other friend, Isabela embraces her new-found beauty.
She lost both of her breasts to cancer, but with a new wardrobe and a haircut she has rediscovered her femininity and how to be truly beautiful. Even her husband finds her more attractive than ever, her beauty did not lie solely in her breasts.
Get your pink on
Cancer may be out of our control, but we can certainly control how it affects us. It isn't the end, it is just the beginning. Many women find their own way through that journey, whether it be revolutionizing their lifestyle or embracing their new appearance. Neither way is more correct than the other.
But just as a rose, neither white nor red, we must find the perfect median, and learn to thrive in the soil we are given, rather than wilt once we find thistles growing among us.
We should live and breath pink, simplicity, beauty and delicacy. Once we take care of ourselves (and pamper on occasion) then we can take care of everyone else who is depending on us. This is only a journey, and we can learn from it. We can learn how to truly live, and how to be truly beautiful. We can learn to love ourselves, and then the rest will surely follow!
Photo courtesy of Victor Cucart