October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I’m sure we all know someone who has been affected by cancer in some way. Over fall break, I participated in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K walk. I’ve participated in this walk for a few years now, but this year opened my eyes in a whole other way. This past year, cancer affected me on a deeply personal level, and I now have an entirely different perspective.
Whenever there is a breast cancer event, what do we see? Pink. Pink EVERYWHERE. Pink ribbons, pink shoes, pink tutus, pink hats, pink hair. But… what is the pink doing? Yes, it represents breast cancer, yes, it brings awareness, but the sad truth is that most of us are already too painfully aware of what this disease is and how it affects lives.
With this considered, I thought it would be good to remind people of other ways we can fight back against this disease:
Fundraise
As stated earlier, SO many people’s lives have been affected, not just by breast cancer, but cancer in general. You would be surprised at how many people would be willing to give money to cancer organizations, such as The American Cancer Society. A little can go a long way.
Stay Healthy
Your life is valuable – make sure you take care of it.
Support
No one likes the word “cancer.” If you ever know of a family member, friend, or even acquaintance dealing with this disease in some way, don’t hesitate to reach out to them and offer your support, because that’s one of the most powerful parts of defeating this disease – knowing you’re loved.
Knowledge is power, and when we know more about how awful this disease can be, we can find ways to lessen the pain. The color pink should still represent women’s strength and dedication for fighting against breast cancer, but we should sport this color while we showcase our strength and dedication by fighting back, once and for all.
Images: cover photo making strides healthy