More Than a Pink Ribbon

If you have ever had a journey with Breast Cancer, you know that it is much more than a pink ribbon. Many of the women that I have spoken with had resented the pink ribbon at one point or another.
“You feel so overwhelmed with everything, the doctors, treatments, medication and then you have people giving you gifts with a pink ribbon on it.”
There comes a time when you just have to put all the cute knick knacks away until you feel better about them. I looked around one day and saw pink ribbons everywhere in my kitchen, I put them all away. It wasn’t that I didn’t like these things; I was tired of seeing the pink ribbons. It seemed like they were everywhere, on the back of vehicles, every store had them on various items, I thought I was safe at the grocery store, but I was wrong. Right at the front of the store, by the check- out, there were two big racks of T-shirts with pink ribbons and boxing gloves on them. I was so sick of seeing the pink ribbon and there was no escaping it. You see, it wasn't the pink ribbon that bothered me, it was the fact that I had breast cancer and it seemed like I couldn't escape it. I wanted a sacred space with no reminders.
When I was first diagnosed I was fond of the pink ribbon, to me it signified strength and awareness. I had pink ribbon everything. When I received gifts, they always had a pink ribbon on them. I was going to win this fight and that little pink ribbon was going to help because I had strength, I was strong. This feeling wore off by my third chemotherapy treatment. I was filled with anger. It is understandable as anger is one of the many emotions that you go through upon getting diagnosed. You have happy times and sad times, life is a mixed bag of emotions.
So, what do you do? You deal with things when you are ready to deal with them. If you are not up to seeing anything associated with Breast Cancer, by all means, put it away. Bring things out when you are good and ready. I strongly suggest that you do not give away, or donate your items yet because it is a phase and you might enjoy them down the road.
To me Breast Cancer is about the pink ribbon, baldness, smiles, laughter and tears. A transformation has taken place during the journey, revealing inner strength and inner beauty. But above all it is about a sisterhood like no other, one that is filled with caring and compassion. On your journey with Breast Cancer it is my hope that you reach out on social media, there are a lot of groups and fan pages out there designed to help.
As time goes on you will take notice of all the 5K Walks and all the fundraisers for Breast Cancer. You will see faces of men, women, and children who have been affected by this deadly disease. Among these people, you will see tears of joy and pain, and you might even shed your own tears. This is what Breast Cancer is about, and it means so much more than a pink ribbon, to me it symbolizes a journey. I cannot think of any other object that could better symbolize Breast Cancer than a pretty, pink ribbon. It truly does symbolize a woman's journey.
Here is a little history on the pink ribbon, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_ribbon.
May your days be filled with hope, love and laughter. Praying that you win the fight! Hugs!