I sometimes find it difficult to come up with topics to write about. Most of the time, my goal is to inspire you as you progress in your journey that will culminate in Las Vegas, Nevada, but I'm not sure if sharing my riding experiences this summer is always the best way to get my point across. The truth is there is not much excitement to share about my riding over the last month. I ride and ride just like you. So, I thought I'd try to think of something different to write about other than my own riding and fundraising experiences. Sometimes, I do my best thinking while riding, and today was no exception.
Today while riding, I started to reflect on some news I received yesterday having to do with the death of a long time member of my breast cancer support group. I had trouble remembering who the women was because she mostly attended the group before I became involved as a facilitator. When someone in my group mentioned that she was the one who knit all the time, I finally remembered meeting her last January at our holiday party. Even though I had met this woman only once, I felt moved by the fact that she passed away after having been a 10 year breast cancer survivor. At my next meeting, I intend to bring a card to pass around and have signed by the women in my group because I feel that our group should send a card to her family giving our condolences. This is the first death that I've encountered in my breast cancer support group. As time goes on, I become more and more emotionally attached to the women in my group, and I find myself worrying about them. I really love who they are and what they represent to me. I hear their breast cancer stories, including fears about their futures. One death in my group is one too many. However, our group tries to focus more on life than death, and that is why these women inspire me.
This year the turnouts for our meetings have been fairly large. On a consistent basis, we usually have between 20 and 30 women attending our meetings. Many of the women having been coming for some time but every month we have a number of newly diagnosed women. It doesn't matter that we come from different socioeconomic backgrounds, or that we have different personalities or lives. We are there for the sole purpose of sharing our breast cancer experiences, and to emotionally help each other. There is a feeling of comfort in our group, and as a result, we spend time laughing and crying together. There is a strong connection among us which remains constant even though the women attending these meetings vary all the time. It is sometimes the only place these women can come and feel totally accepted and understood as breast cancer survivors. It is a place that we all feel comfortable being ourselves.
There are so many things that move me when I facilitate our meetings. I love when one of our members shows up and is finally starting to grow hair after having completed her chemotherapy. Many times I've never seen this particular person with hair so this is always considered a big event. Also, I love to look out among the women in the group and see wonderful transformations taking place, both physically and emotionally, in those who originally came when they were first diagnosed. I feel joy at seeing them finally returning to the main stream of life. I love to see them smile and hear them laugh in a more carefree manner. I think how wonderful it is that they are doing better. These women who finally are doing better,as well as many long term breast cancer survivors, continue to come because they want to help others going through similar experiences. I love when a group member announces that she is a 20 year breast cancer survivor who originally was diagnosed with a more advanced stage of breast cancer,and then see a newly diagnosed breast cancer survivor get the look of hope in her eyes. At our last meeting, there was a newly diagnosed women who was attending her second meeting. In talking to her, I found out that she had been calling another newly diagnosed women who had been struggling greatly at our last meeting. Notwithstanding all that she was going through, she still took the time to call this other breast cancer survivor to help her in her struggle. Through our own breast cancer struggles, we learn about empathy and the importance of helping others.
As I said earlier, our emphasis is on life rather than death. We focus on staying positive but at the same time we acknowledge and share our fears and anxieties and even our struggles with depression. We encourage and support..we say that we know what you are going through..we hug (we do that a lot) and say, " if I made it this far so can you"....We are a breast cancer support group that does amazing things for women who in a blink of an eye have had their lives turned upside down. We help women of all ages , including, family members who are struggling with the reality that someone they love has breast cancer. Yes, this group does amazing things just like all the other Network of Strength support groups around the country.
Remember you are raising money for these support groups as well as the other services provided by the Network of Strength. By supporting this cause you are helping breast cancer survivors like those in my support group. The individual stories of each of these women, as well as those of all the other women out there who have had, or now have, or in the future will have, breast cancer gives meaning to the term "breast cancer survivors". I thought this might be the type of inspiration you need to ride a little further, or work a little harder in meeting your fundraising goals. These women inspire me and I hope that they will inspire you in the remaining months ahead.
