October – Pink Wearing Month

October is the Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

This is the time to wear your pink ribbons in memory, support and honor of the loved ones you lost, the ones that are fighting or the ones that survived this horrible disease.

I am a big supporter of Breast Cancer. My mother-in-law a wonderful woman named Jeannie Bailey died of this awful disease over 20 years ago.

I never met my mother-in-law, but I feel very close to her. She was a wonderful mother, wife, friend, sister and a daughter. I know she was loved and is missed everyday. Every time anybody mentions her name people eyes light up and they are so excited to talk about her and the memories of her.

I wish I had a chance to meet this remarkable woman who touched so many lives in such a short time. Few people told me that I remind them of her and you wouldn’t believe what an honor that is.

Jeannie never had the chance to see her baby boy to get married. Never had the chance to spoil her grand babies. Never had the chance to travel the world with her husband after retirement.

Even thou my boys never met grandma Jeannie she lives inside of them. They look at her pictures, ask questions. They miss her without ever meeting her.

My husband still can’t talk about his mom without teary eyes. He misses her so much. She would be so proud of the great man he became. She would be so proud of what a great husband and a father he is.

In honor of grandma Jeannie who died of Breast Cancer and in honor of my friend Barb who died of  Melanoma my family and friends participate every year in Relay For Life a 12-hour vigil to end cancer.

So this month I will wear pink  in support of anybody who was touched by Breast Cancer. Won’t you join me?

Wear pink, join walk, run, buy something with Pink Ribbon on it or just donate. Any little bit helps.

I also like to support Breast Cancer by shopping (if there is a pink ribbon on it I will buy it) in stores who donate their proceeds to cancer research.

Grandma Jeannie we love you!!!

I feel like little inspiration is needed.

My favorite writer Erma Bombeck who was diagnosed with Breast Cancer (died from complications from kidney transplant) wrote a poem that touched lots of lives and maybe it will touch yours:

If I Had My Life to Live Over

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the “good” living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television, and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn’t show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I’d have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, “Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.”

There would have been more “I love you’s.” More “I’m sorry’s.”

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute… look at it and really see it… live it… and never give it back.

Stop sweating the small stuff. Don’t worry about who doesn’t like you, who has more, or who’s doing what.

Instead, let’s cherish the relationships we have with those who DO love us.

Let’s think about what God HAS blessed us with.

And what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally, as well as spiritually.

Life is too short to let it pass you by.

We only have one shot at this and then it’s gone.

I hope you all have a blessed day.