Betty Ford's funeral

laughs_a_lot
laughs_a_lot Member Posts: 1,368 Member
in Breast Cancer #1
Maybe it is the fact that I work in the town where Betty Ford is being burried. However, her death was sad for me. I did not know how much she and I were alike in personality. but apparently she was quite outspoken. I knew she had bc and problems with addiction. At the time I thought it odd that she and her husband had differing views on the issue of abortion. So I guess it really does speak to the fact that she had a mind of her own. So I guess we owe her a lot for the ability to bring the breast cancer issue into the light instead of it being something we would suffer with in silence. Have fun in heaven with Jerry, Betty. What a birthday gift to him that you now join him.

Comments

  • chenheart
    chenheart Member Posts: 5,159 Member
    #2
    I agree with you 100%~ I
    I agree with you 100%~ I didn't realize until much later how much courage and conviction it took for Betty Ford to be so outspoken~ especially when she differed with the President. What I do recall is that even when on opposite sides, and speaking about important, life-altering decisions, she seemed always to have humor, coupled with the needed seriousness, and grace about her. She was never "in your face" or b.itchy or embarrassing~ but she was a strong woman with principle. Abortion! Breast Cancer! Mastectomy! Women's Rights! Addiction to alcohol and pain killers! This woman had a lot going on in her life, and she shared it with us with honesty and dignity...RIP We are stronger for having "known" her.
  • faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy
    faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy Member Posts: 319 Member
    #3
    chenheart said:

    I agree with you 100%~ I
    I agree with you 100%~ I didn't realize until much later how much courage and conviction it took for Betty Ford to be so outspoken~ especially when she differed with the President. What I do recall is that even when on opposite sides, and speaking about important, life-altering decisions, she seemed always to have humor, coupled with the needed seriousness, and grace about her. She was never "in your face" or b.itchy or embarrassing~ but she was a strong woman with principle. Abortion! Breast Cancer! Mastectomy! Women's Rights! Addiction to alcohol and pain killers! This woman had a lot going on in her life, and she shared it with us with honesty and dignity...RIP We are stronger for having "known" her.

    Our dear, dear Betty...
    What I remember about cancer before Betty was women talking about it over coffee in the kitchen, but would hush should children or spouses enter. My mom had had cancer when I was 5. My grandmother cared for us during her 2 week stay in the hospital. The drill was, I came home from school, changed into play clothes, and had to stay inside the entire time. Too, in the 1960s, children under a certain age were not permitted in hospitals as visitors. Vocabulary words from my kindergarten year...hospital, cancer, uterus, ovary, and survival. I would later learn that survival rates for my mother's cancer was 1 in 4.

    Fast forward to 1974...I was in my first year of college when Betty was diagnosed. I recall at the time being overwhelmed with books, parking permits, work, boys...all things associated with being 18...consequently, I wasn't paying much attention to the news. It would be a little over a year later that I discovered my first breast lump and my procedure was delayed due to a physician strike. Breast cancer was now an open topic and mom was thankfully around to see me through two different lump procedures in the 70s and some radically different processes for x-raying one's breasts.

    Betty gave a face to breast cancer and helped pave the path that too many of us journey now. I will forever be grateful for her openness and dignity during her journey. I will always believe that her courage inspired others more notable to face this disease openly, and thusly serve as inspiration at least for me as my time came. Since my diagnosis, I have had the honor to touch a few lives and share the journey with others following on this road. Betty set up the lamp posts, others have lighted the way, I am content to come along side others and hold them up a long the way. Thank you, Betty for sharing your life so graciously with us. You made a difference in my life.
  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #4
    faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy said:

    Our dear, dear Betty...
    What I remember about cancer before Betty was women talking about it over coffee in the kitchen, but would hush should children or spouses enter. My mom had had cancer when I was 5. My grandmother cared for us during her 2 week stay in the hospital. The drill was, I came home from school, changed into play clothes, and had to stay inside the entire time. Too, in the 1960s, children under a certain age were not permitted in hospitals as visitors. Vocabulary words from my kindergarten year...hospital, cancer, uterus, ovary, and survival. I would later learn that survival rates for my mother's cancer was 1 in 4.

    Fast forward to 1974...I was in my first year of college when Betty was diagnosed. I recall at the time being overwhelmed with books, parking permits, work, boys...all things associated with being 18...consequently, I wasn't paying much attention to the news. It would be a little over a year later that I discovered my first breast lump and my procedure was delayed due to a physician strike. Breast cancer was now an open topic and mom was thankfully around to see me through two different lump procedures in the 70s and some radically different processes for x-raying one's breasts.

    Betty gave a face to breast cancer and helped pave the path that too many of us journey now. I will forever be grateful for her openness and dignity during her journey. I will always believe that her courage inspired others more notable to face this disease openly, and thusly serve as inspiration at least for me as my time came. Since my diagnosis, I have had the honor to touch a few lives and share the journey with others following on this road. Betty set up the lamp posts, others have lighted the way, I am content to come along side others and hold them up a long the way. Thank you, Betty for sharing your life so graciously with us. You made a difference in my life.

    I agree thank you for starting this thread
    She played a crucial role in beast cancer awareness, image and treatment and we all are here because she build a road for us
  • TraciInLA
    TraciInLA Member Posts: 1,994 Member
    #5
    faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy said:

    Our dear, dear Betty...
    What I remember about cancer before Betty was women talking about it over coffee in the kitchen, but would hush should children or spouses enter. My mom had had cancer when I was 5. My grandmother cared for us during her 2 week stay in the hospital. The drill was, I came home from school, changed into play clothes, and had to stay inside the entire time. Too, in the 1960s, children under a certain age were not permitted in hospitals as visitors. Vocabulary words from my kindergarten year...hospital, cancer, uterus, ovary, and survival. I would later learn that survival rates for my mother's cancer was 1 in 4.

    Fast forward to 1974...I was in my first year of college when Betty was diagnosed. I recall at the time being overwhelmed with books, parking permits, work, boys...all things associated with being 18...consequently, I wasn't paying much attention to the news. It would be a little over a year later that I discovered my first breast lump and my procedure was delayed due to a physician strike. Breast cancer was now an open topic and mom was thankfully around to see me through two different lump procedures in the 70s and some radically different processes for x-raying one's breasts.

    Betty gave a face to breast cancer and helped pave the path that too many of us journey now. I will forever be grateful for her openness and dignity during her journey. I will always believe that her courage inspired others more notable to face this disease openly, and thusly serve as inspiration at least for me as my time came. Since my diagnosis, I have had the honor to touch a few lives and share the journey with others following on this road. Betty set up the lamp posts, others have lighted the way, I am content to come along side others and hold them up a long the way. Thank you, Betty for sharing your life so graciously with us. You made a difference in my life.

    Lovely words, Yellow One
    Your story really shows how Betty Ford changed the journey we're all now on, just by living her life the way her heart told her to.

    We've missed you around here, Ms. faith_trust....

    Traci

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