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

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