I used to hate the color pink…too girly girl for me, and wouldn’t ya know that’s all my mother wanted to dress me in. I was more of a tomboy as a kid, so petty coats and pink hair ribbons were not my thing. I have learned to love the color…for its vibrance, the joy it personifies and of course the healing message it brings to all who behold it.
I found myself sobbing this morning as I watched the kick off of breast cancer awareness month on TV. Tears of fear, pain, and anguish all mixed up with my absolute joy and confidence that I have won not just the battle but the whole damned war against breast cancer. Needless to say my life has changed dramatically since I finished chemo. My body is slowly, with an emphasis on slowly, returning to its “normal” state of being, whatever that is.
I have solemnly committed to a new diet and lifestyle to continue the healing process and to insure that the dreaded disease does not return anywhere in my body, ever, if I can help it. What does that mean? For me, it’s eating whole, organic foods, eliminating glutens and most (!) sugar, and exercising 6 days a week. I am feeling better and looking better, but I still have a ways to go and it has now become my mission to at least have control over my body, to the best of my abilitiy. My exercise regime is extreme, at least for me…I sweat prodigiously for a solid hour. My sweat has become a symbol to me of purging all of the toxins that are lingering in my cells. I welcome it and release it with joy and a long, hot shower afterwards.
But still, just beneath the surface, lie all of the memories and experiences that transpired after those fateful words, “You have breast cancer.” This morning I wept for myself, for all of the women on this journey, for all of us survivors, and for those who did not make it.
Be sure to watch tonight as Times Square lights up in glorious, radiating PINK. I just love the color pink.
Oct. 2, 2014
Judy Richter 