The Power of PINK

(from Cathi)

I must admit that pink has never been my favorite color. From the time I was a little girl, I've always preferred blue. My mom often bought blue dresses for me to wear when I was an infant and a toddler, because people said that blue went so well with my blue eyes, my blonde hair, and my fair skin. I loved the color blue when I was very young, and I continue to love it. It's so peaceful and calming, and I enjoy just about every shade.

Pink has never been a favorite; I could take it or leave it. When our two daughters were little, I dressed them in pink occasionally, but I always thought it was more fun to be different, so I dressed them in yellow, lavender, blue, green, peach--almost anything but pink. Silly, huh?

Well, during the past several months, I'll admit that I have learned to love the color pink, especially anything that has to do with breast cancer awareness. When I see the pink breast cancer ribbon symbol, I make a mental and emotional connection. I'm grateful for that little symbol and for the color pink, and most of all, I'm grateful for the strides that are being made to prevent and treat breast cancer.

I'd like to share a few pink things that have been given to me during these past few months and what they've meant to me. I've been given many beautiful pink flowers, and I've loved those (along with every other flower that I've received), and I've also been given some extra-special pink gifts that have truly buoyed up my spirit. Here's a few pictures of pink gifts I received just in the past week...

On March 1, the night before my mastectomy, our family attended a church program for the teen-age girls in our ward (church congregation). It was a beautiful program, and I was glad that I could attend, even though I was filled with jitters and worries about my upcoming surgery. Well, after the program ended, I noticed that all of the girls and youth leaders were wearing pink bracelets. A friend had ordered enough bracelets for everyone, to support me in my journey through surgery, chemo, and all that was ahead of me. Wow! What a great feeling of support!

That same friend (plus another dear friend) gave me a big pink tote bag that night. Inside were some pink slippers, a book light (perfect for this reading addict), a pink Snuggie, and a card with wonderful words of encouragement. That sweet gift really gave me courage to face the next day's surgery.

Just two days later, as I came home from my surgery--feeling very nervous and overwhelmed and wishing that I could still be in the hospital for a bit more professional medical care--I was in for a wonderful surprise. A dear friend from church had come over the night before, and she and her two daughters, along with our two daughters, had decorated our home. There were pretty pink bows tied around our kitchen chairs, our living room chairs and lamps, and the kitchen light fixture. There was a "welcome home" sign and a candy bar poster (which makes me laugh even now, when I think of its silliness) and a huge basket full of goodies too numerous to name. My heart was truly made lighter by this incredible act of kindness.

Just a couple of days later, as I was feeling a bit down-in-the-dumps with my post-surgery woes, a box was dropped off at our home. But this was not just an ordinary box. It was a lovely shade of pale pink, covered with pictures of adorable little girls and the words "Girls just want to have fun!" Inside the box were all sorts of treasures--a pink journal, pink notecards, a pretty vase with a pink tassle, candy, and even pink hot chocolate mix in a darling pink tin. (And I'm a tin collector!) Once again, these pink gifts, given with such love and thoughtfulness, totally brightened my day and warmed my heart.

Nearly six weeks passed, and it was just about time to begin my first chemo treatment. I had already gone through a lot of difficult things, yet I still had to go through something as big as chemo, and I'll admit that I was scared to death. Most of it was just the "fear of the unknown," and the rest was just the thought of: "Am I strong enough to handle this for the next four-plus months?" To say that I was overwhelmed is an understatement.

Well, the Sunday before I had my first treatment, I was sitting in church, waiting for our services to begin. A friend came up to me, carrying the largest pink tote bag I've ever seen. It was absolutely bulging with goodies! This sweet friend, along with several other good friends from church, had put this wonderful "chemo bag" together for me, and it was given with a hug and best wishes. I was so touched by this incredibly kind and generous gift! I must admit that I was quite excited to see what was inside, and so were the kids. When church ended and we all went home, our first thought was to dump the bag and check out all the treasures. It was like a mini-Christmas. There was every kind of goodie imaginable--from a water bottle to a fancy compact mirror, notecards, pens, candy, mints, magazines, scarves, a hat, a coin purse, slipper socks, make-up bags, Baskin Robbins gift certificates, and more--almost all of it pink. Oh, and there was even a bright pink funky fluffy blanket. But best of all, every single item had a neat little note that went with it. (You can be sure that every single note is saved in my scrapbook.) Every one of those little gifts has been well-used and treasured during these past months of chemo.

I wish I could write about every other gift (pink or not) that I've received during these past few months. I've been given some beautiful pink jewelry, which means a great deal to me. I've been given a pretty pink towel, and even some socks with the breast cancer symbol on them. One dear friend, who was visiting from Utah, gave me a basket of goodies called "Cathi's Cancer Cit (Kit)" and it was both a useful and humorous gift--just what I needed at that time! Every gift has been much more than a tangible thing. Each one has been given with love and support, and they've given me courage, a brighter heart, and a feeling of power over this crazy disease.

Thanks and love to everyone! And by the way, this week I began my last round of chemo and received the following PINK certificate from the great folks that have taken care of me at the cancer center!!