You, along with any human old enough to know that it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month (and some who are too young to know understand there's a whole month dedicated to the disease), are already aware of breast cancer. Fully aware.
What you may not be aware of is how difficult October is for many of those who have battled or are currently battling the disease.
Pink is everywhere in October. Absolutely everywhere. On clothing, writing utensils, jewelry, half the food on grocery store shelves, signs hanging on business windows, ads in magazines and newspapers, and more. Additionally, there are endless pictures and quotes posted online, some meant to be serious, informative, and/or inspirational and others using the justification of awareness to be crude, sexually suggestive, and/or tacky.
Now imagine that you're seeing all that pink while currently bald, bloated or underweight, tired, and/or throwing up on a regular basis because of breast cancer. Imagine that you're hearing people's juvenile attempts at breast humor while your bra is filled with one or two fake breasts, ones that were put there because your real ones were surgically removed in an attempt to save or extend your life. Or maybe you hear the jokes while having neither real nor prosthetic breasts, but with incisions that are healing from a recent mastectomy. Imagine that you're reading all those posts on Facebook while wondering if your cancer that's currently in remission is going to come back, if you'll live long enough to raise your kids.
Not fun. It's one veeeeeery long month of having your disease shoved in your face. True, the vast majority of it is well-intentioned, but it's still hard.
Given the fact that my mom died of breast cancer in her 30s, I'm completely supportive of making sure people know the risks for breast cancer, what they can do to catch the disease early, and honoring those who have walked the disease's gnarly road. I will never say people should stop being aware (although I don't think we could be unaware if we wanted to).
What I am saying is that it would be better to schedule a mammogram and remind your friends to do the same than to wear a pink ribbon on your shirt, to bring a week's worth of groceries to a family where the wife is going through chemo or radiation than to share a breast cancer related quote on Facebook, to send a note of encouragement to a woman who just had a mastectomy and is really struggling with feeling unfeminine than to come up with a witty (at best) or crude (at worst) remark about saving breasts.
Awareness is worthless. Doing something with your awareness is what matters.
5 comments:
Interesting point Bethany. Never thought of it that way.
Wow, thank you! My mom will complete her 36 week of chemo tomorrow and you are exactly right. Doing something with your awareness is really something that truly matters!!
Amen B! Amen. These are my sentiments exactly.
I completely agree! I have some of these same thoughts every October - and last night while watching Monday Night Football.
I believe money could be much better spent than having players wear pink shoes and gloves.
If you are not aware of breast cancer, you've been living under a rock for a few decades.
I think it's all pretty meaningless.
I think this too, Kristi...how many millions were spent on specialty equipment that could have been donated straight to reaearch. Or, set up grant programs to help pay medical costs. Foolish really....
Post a Comment