"Are you making memories of moments?"   |   Tuesday, August 31, 2010

When I was diagnosed with Lupus many years ago, so many thought ran through my head... "will this kill me, who will raise my kids and how will they remember me?" I'm SURE that all these women think the same thing when they hear the word cancer. Mothers just do that.

Tracy B. was no different. She relates that after the initial, "it's not fair," that her next thought was, "who will raise my children?" Tracy is a huge scrapbooker, a Creative Memories consultant and memory keeper, as many women in households are, but she creates wonderful, visual memory books for her family. For her, it's a productive diversion from cancer and the rigors of it's treatment. Discovering her cancer at Stage 2, Tracy says, "I wish it was found sooner, but I pretty much do what I have to do, to get better and have this over with." She wants this particular memory to go away, so that she can get onto raising her two kids, and creating wonderful memories with them. When I asked what she does to get through this, she relates, "I pretty much do anything that I like, sometimes scrapbooking or getting outside to enjoy fresh air. Cancer has changed me, but yet it hasn't... I'm still me, just with cancer."

Memories. What does that word conjure up for you? For me, it's things like gardening with my Grandfather as a small child when we lived with them. It's a mental picture of my husband proposing to me. It's pictures in my mind of each of our children being born or cute things they said and did as little ones. Vacations, trips and the beauty of our daughter as she walked down the aisle.
Graduations, parties and celebrations. Generally all lovely thoughts, very few, if any sad or unpleasant thoughts. Isn't that how it usually is? We tend to remember and photograph the good things and the sad or painful thoughts pass away.... During these days of chemotherapy and sometimes painful treatments, are you looking for some small morsel of joy in each day? Trying to find something funny to laugh at? Making memories of the moments? This is a time in your life to be documented and I'm so thankful that so many women have stepped up and been Bold and Brave. We've captured some wonderful images of beautiful women, who are in the fight of their lives and hopefully, will pass through this battle and come out stronger on the other side... and this will just be a memory. How can you make it a good memory? How can you make this a pleasant memory? How can you help to make this a fun time for someone you love who is going through cancer? Send them funny cards, sending them a silly hat or wig? Hold a party for them at chemo? Create a theme for the chemo room and decorate it? Be creative. Steal ideas from someone else.... anything to make this trial a pleasant memory. To brighten someones day. To help them get through this... who knows, you may need it yourself someday.

Labels: bald woman, bald women, Be Bold Feel Beautiful, breast cancer, breast cancer awareness, Non-profit, The Oldham Project

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