“Tell the story of the mountain you climbed. Your words could become a page in someone else’s survival guide.” — Morgan Harper Nichols
Throughout this experience I found myself. My diagnosis closed a chapter in my life, but my current journey of faith and confidence in myself is open!
Caregivers are real life superheroes who just don’t wear capes. They trade their capes for silent tears, sleepless nights and mental fatigue.
It didn’t matter I was lonely, scared, broken and confused. I had to do the work if I wanted to get better, so I did just that! Cancer, one-sided relationships, burdens and unhealthy habits have been removed from my life. I have stepped into new business ventures and put that well used ambition and tenacity into motion.
The word “normal” is no longer a word I use because life after breast cancer will never feel “normal.” I am forever changed and I prefer “okay.”
There’s just something about walking into an office covered in a color that’s almost synonymous with the disease you’re trying to discover you have. A disease that will change the course of your life as you know it.
I told myself I didn’t need a man to make me happy and that was true, but the life partner assigned to me wouldn’t walk away when I felt unworthy, struggled with self esteem and body image or when all the woes of survival came to disturb my peace.
When you have a soulmate, you can look beyond all of that and see the beauty and the creation that God designed just for the two of you.
My cancer made it very clear to me that tomorrow wasn’t promised. So, I needed to make the most of my time. I wanted nothing more than to recover what we were rebuilding and move forward.
Unfortunately, his cancer didn’t make him feel the same.
I’m hoping to learn from all of this — each and every day moving forward, letting the universe do its thing, as I understand my purpose. I’d love to be able to speak to other women and help in any way I can.
It isn’t easy to begin again, because after treatment, that’s what it feels like; like starting over. But I found something that not only eases my emotional pain and anxiety, but that of others as well. And for that, I am thankful.
Your voice, your story, and your support can make a difference. Join For the Breast of Us in our mission to empower, support, and advocate for women of color across the globe. Together, we can create a future where every woman has the resources and support she needs to overcome breast cancer.
On the Web:
www.breastofus.com
www.breastofusfoundation.org
Email:
hello@breastofus.com
Welcome to our community—where hope thrives, strength is found, and sisters in the fight become family.
