Did You Know You Were in a Church Hall with Me Last Night?

lynn1950
lynn1950 Member Posts: 2,570
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I was invited to talk with a women's group at a little local church last night. The room where the talk was to be held was decorated in pink. At one end of the room two tables were set up. One was sagging with all kinds of pink desserts including plates of double round sugar cookies with a perky pink sugar dot in the center of each cookie. On the other table were booklets and pamphlets with all kinds of breast cancer awareness information. I wore my special "Breast Cancer Sucks" shirt and a pink ribbon pin and brought my breast cancer bag where I store my medical records, my notebook from the cancer center, my pink "doctor questions" notebook, and my old blue oncology appointments/meds notebook.

(The breast cancer bag is a gift from the Susan B.Komen foundation; it is black with big white polka dots and pink handles and is sturdy as all get out. I received it right after my cancer diagnoses from the breast care nurse at my local hospital. It was filled with booklets, books, CDs, a notebook, and other "goodies." It is a very cool bag and sometimes I am tempted to find some other container for my breast cancer stuff, so that I can use it every day. But that just doesn't seem right, so the breast cancer bag it remains.)

At the meeting, I wasn't sure what the women wanted to hear, so I asked them, and they replied with blank, but open faces. So, I said, OK...would you like to hear my story and along the way I can tell you about resources? That sounded OK. I tried to be as open and honest about my story, including my bout with severe depression, and they were so loving in return. There was an awesome grace in the room, as the women opened up with their stories and questions and it became a real sharing. I was so thankful for the opportunity to talk about breast cancer awareness, about Susan B. Komen, about the work of CSN and ACS, about you, my sisters, about how we need to advocate for ourselves... and they were thanking me!

You didn't know you were all in a little church hall with me last night, now did you?

xoxoxox Lynn

Comments

  • chenheart
    chenheart Member Posts: 5,159
    #2
    I can't remember the last
    I can't remember the last time I was in a church~ so, vicariously through you was an alright way to be there! I can picture you so clearly; as well as the initial "deer in the headlights" look of the audience members. Leave it to you to break the ice and end up, as you so eloquently said, in a room filled with awesome grace!

    Thanks for sharing the experience with us!

    Hugs,
    Chen♥
  • RE
    RE Member Posts: 4,591 Member
    #3
    :-)
    Lynn, I had no idea however I am very honored to have been there with you! It certainly sounds like it was an awesome event.

    RE
  • padee6339
    padee6339 Member Posts: 763
    #4
    Lynn
    That was beautiful, it made me cry. Thank you for taking us with you. Wish my church had something like that. I am not a good speaker, I shake uncontrollably. But I think I could talk about this. God Bless you! Thanks!
    Pat
  • Akiss4me
    Akiss4me Member Posts: 2,188
    #5
    LOL
    I knew I felt displaced last night....now I know where I went! Thanks for taking us along. I am way jealous over the breast cancer bag. How I would love something like that to organize my notebooks and folders! I agree....keep it as it's purposeful use it was intended for. What a stylish reminder! ♥Pammy
  • tjhay
    tjhay Member Posts: 655
    #6
    Akiss4me said:

    LOL
    I knew I felt displaced last night....now I know where I went! Thanks for taking us along. I am way jealous over the breast cancer bag. How I would love something like that to organize my notebooks and folders! I agree....keep it as it's purposeful use it was intended for. What a stylish reminder! ♥Pammy

    Lynn
    Thank you for taking me along with you, this one of the ways I mean when we alway have our hands reached out to each other, you had all of us there and you were our spokesperson Thank you.
    Pammy I got a couple of really nice permant gracery bags that have breast cancer on them at Publex, the were like a buck each, just an idea.
    tj
  • tommaseena
    tommaseena Member Posts: 1,769
    #7
    Akiss4me said:

    LOL
    I knew I felt displaced last night....now I know where I went! Thanks for taking us along. I am way jealous over the breast cancer bag. How I would love something like that to organize my notebooks and folders! I agree....keep it as it's purposeful use it was intended for. What a stylish reminder! ♥Pammy

    Thank you
    Thank you for taking me with you.

    Hugs, Margo
  • MyTurnNow
    MyTurnNow Member Posts: 2,686 Member
    #8
    I, too, thank you for taking
    I, too, thank you for taking all of us with you.
  • Marcia527
    Marcia527 Member Posts: 2,729
    #9
    You are our champion!

    You are our champion!
  • mimivac
    mimivac Member Posts: 2,143 Member
    #10
    It sounds like a really good experience
    Thanks for helping others and thinking of us! I'm sure you made a huge difference at that church last night. My kudos to you for sharing your experience and making others' lives better, just like you do on this site.

    Mimi
  • lynn1950
    lynn1950 Member Posts: 2,570
    #11
    Thank you, friends, for your
    Thank you, friends, for your comments. It is such a beautiful circle arising from such a monstrous experience. xoxoxox Lynn
  • Christmas Girl
    Christmas Girl Member Posts: 3,682 Member
    #12
    lynn1950 said:

    Thank you, friends, for your
    Thank you, friends, for your comments. It is such a beautiful circle arising from such a monstrous experience. xoxoxox Lynn

    Thank you, Lynn, for sharing this with us...
    And for having all of us there with you. :-)

    Kudos to you, for the inspiration and reassurance you surely provided for the women at the meeting. As you do here on the board.

    Kind regards, Susan

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