Party in Pink

I know I have written on different occasions about my mother and my mother-in-law and the breast cancer battle that they have both fought. However, when I saw the FringeGirl was hosting a Party in Pink as an opportunity to honour the women in our lives who have battled his disease, I knew I would be writing about it again.

What more can I say except that I am so thankful that both of our moms are alive and healthy today after undergoing such a tremendous battle?

About a month ago, I wrote about the closing ceremonies that I attended for the 2009 Weekend to End Breast Cancer. This was the first year in the past 3 years that I didn't participate in it myself. Since that weekend, I have decided that I will be raising money and I will be walking in 2010. How could I not?

Sometimes, people question these types of fundraisers and wonder whether or not the money raised will actually have any impact on the problem.

Will the money I raise cure cancer? Maybe not.

Does that mean it's not important or helpful? I don't think so.

I've been asked these questions before. I've been asked if I think that my participation in this event will "actually help solve anything".

My response to this question is always the same: I don't know if my participation in this event will make the difference but I have to do something. I may not be able to do much but I can do some fund raising and I can walk 60km... even if it kicks my butt.

After seeing a loved one(s) go through the battle of breast cancer, you are left knowing that you must do something.

I sat on my bed four days before Christmas and listened to my mom speak the words, "I have breast cancer."

I watched her hair fall out.

I sat beside her in a clinic and watched nasty drugs being pumped into her body while she fell asleep and made extremely strange noises (as not funny as the chemo experience is - it is actually kind of funny sometimes).

I heard her tell stories about the other women she met in the clinic during her treatments.

I heard her tell me that some of those women lost the battle.

I cried with the FD when he told me that his mother was diagnosed too.

I prayed for my mom, for FD's mom and for the many other women with breast cancer.

I celebrated when we found out that mom was cancer free.

I celebrated when FD's family found out that his mom was cancer free, too.

I spiked my mom's hair as it grew back, all short and fuzzy.

And through it all, I felt like I could really do nothing.

So, when the opportunity arose for me to be able to do something, I had to do it.

And that is why I will walk again in 2010.
(Please remind me of this when I'm in the process of fund raising and training next year.)

To finish off, here are some of my favourite pictures from the 2007 and 2008 walk ...

Here's to Mom, to Sue and to the far too many other women who have fought/are fighting/will fight in the fight against breast cancer.