Quiet And Reserved

Gosh, I love October.  Like, a whole bunch.

This is the month the sky remains blue, but the temperature becomes more bearable, and the trees go insane with color. I really wish it lasted longer.

And, in a weird mix of emotions, October is a little hard for me. I am reminded of the most impactful health event I never wanted but am grateful I experienced.  As it is Breast Cancer Awareness month, I have wrestled with feeling like I “should” do more, say more, post more than I have.  But the truth is, while I do feel great responsibility to be a whistle blower, helping to educate, empower, encourage and mentor women through this stupid disease, in October of 2019, I was never more aware of breast cancer as I experienced my first sessions in the chemo chair, taking in the “red devil” concoction that caused me to lose my hair and my lunch.  I was never more aware of how unaware I’d been prior to my own diagnosis.  Ironic, right?

I guess out of the 12 months in the year, this one is mine.  To feed my soul with God’s gift of Autumn, to let the trees continually show me “how beautiful it is to let the dead things go”, to take some time to feel my feels (joy and grief, constant companions), and with a heart that’s a bit more tender, break away from activism and join with my pink community to honor, celebrate and mourn what we have been through.

It’s a road I’m willing to travel because a) I don’t really have a choice, and b) What I’ve gained far exceeds what I’ve lost!

Because I believe NOTHING is wasted, this addition to my life’s resume does put a fire in me.  I do desire to help those who are newer to the journey than myself.  One way that I am working to equip those currently in the battle, is to build and maintain a resource library for current patients of Oregon Oncology.  I’ve got a small collection started and am building it little by little and can’t wait to make it all available.

Because this is my own passion project, it comes out of my own pocket. All purchases of Street Cred Yoga t-shirts from my shop help with the funding of this, as all proceeds are used for this endeavor.  If you have purchased one, thank you so much for your support!

In the meantime, thanks for allowing me to be a little quieter and more introverted this month.  I promise to be louder and bossier in November.