For more information about The Guardians of the Ribbon, here you go: http://www.pinkfiretrucks.org/
Archive for the ‘Inspiration’ Category
Guardians of the Ribbon Driving for Cancer
Wednesday, September 1st, 20101 in 8 Project
Thursday, July 29th, 2010
Image: 1in8 Project
1 in 8 women will get breast cancer.
If you are 1, and you’d like to share your story through words and images, visit the 1 in 8 Project website.
Just click on Get Involved to proceed.
You can also “like” Timothi Jane Graham Photography on Facebook for a peek into Timothi’s fascinating world. Timothi, a cervical cancer survivor, is the woman behind this empowering venture.
Healing with Words: A Writer’s Cancer Journey — Book Giveaway
Tuesday, July 13th, 2010Diana M. Raab has written a book that you might want to get your hands on. I’ll tell you about it, but first, here’s a bit about her:
Photo: www.dianaraab.com
Diana is the type of person who does everything in a big way. She earned three degrees: an undergraduate degree in Health Administration and Journalism, an RN, and a MFA. She has three wonderful children, despite high risk pregnancies, and she wrote eight books and has won as many writing awards. Also, she is currently launching two babies at once: her most recent book, “Healing with Words: A Writer’s Cancer Journey“ and her daughter’s wedding in the same month. And although Diana spent 25 years focusing on medical and self-help writing, she has also penned memoirs and poetry.
Photo: www.dianaraab.com
And now, about the book:
Diana’s latest book reflects her experiences battling breast cancer at age 47 and then multiple myeloma, a type of bone marrow cancer, when she was 52. The book is part practical advice (she is a nurse, after all) and part inspiration, which takes the form of poems, journal entries, and friendly thoughts. To show readers the effect of healing writing, Diana also includes blank sections and writing prompts so readers can contribute their own thoughts and writings. Diana describes her daily journal writing as “a daily vitamin-healing, detoxifying and essential for optimal health.”
Great news: Diana will be stopping by to read this post today, so if you have any questions for her, please leave them in the comments, and she will respond. And she is offering you a chance to score her newest book. Yep, another giveaway, and here’s all you need to do to enter:
- Leave a comment and share why this book is on your wish list!
- Leave your comment no later than 5PM ET on Tuesday, July 20, 2010.
- You may enter only once.
- Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, and the District of Columbia, who are 18 and older.
- One winner will be selected in a random drawing. using random.org.
- One winner will receive one book, valued at $19.95.
- Winners will be notified by email, so make sure to check next week to find out if you’ve won!
A Dozen Ways to De-Stress
Monday, June 21st, 2010
Photo: One in a Million
My boys have summer journals, and they’re writing every few days to keep their skills sharp for the 2nd and 4th grades. I’ve been writing along with them, because I want to show them I’m not afraid of a little summer work, and well, because, writing makes me happy, and it helps me process all of life’s twists and turns. And that’s sort of what I wrote about today in my black and white composition book — getting through the ups and downs, and cutting down on stress.
My essay turned out to be a list, and here are 12 of my ideas for finding peace. Might want to try a few if you’re searching for a little calm.
- Do you have a front porch? Sit on it, especially if there’s a nice evening breeze blowing by.
- Read old letters of recommendation (make sure they’re good ones!).
- Steal a hug from someone you love. Hold on for minutes, not seconds.
- Make a wish list, and don’t worry about the price of anything.
- Find a few quotes that move you, and write them down.
- Read a story about someone less fortunate than you, and count your blessings.
- Remember your own less-fortunate moments, and appreciate where you are now.
- Visualize memorable days, like the days your babies were born.
- Look at old photos.
- Look at old yearbooks.
- Burn a yummy candle.
- Consider everything that happens (good and bad) an adventure that you’ll look back on as a memory — maybe a funny one, maybe not, but a memory nonetheless.
- Reader Lauren says: Looking at yearbooks is always fun! I personally love taking a walk around a nearby pond or driving around aimlessly.
- Reader Tracey says: turn on the music loud and dance with your kids.
Gosh, it’s hard to stop at just 12.
Would love to hear your ideas — if you share, I’ll add them to my list.
Submit Your Message of Strength & Win!
Monday, June 7th, 2010
deviantjeans.com
Here it is, as promised: the “Message of Strength” contest, sponsored by Deviant Jeans.
It’s really quite simple to participate — just submit your personal Message of Strength or mantra on Deviant Jeans’ Facebook page, and the crew over there will chose a winner based on originality, strength and how well it could translate into art.
If your words win, you’ll receive one free EMPOWERWRAP (valued at $75.00) with your message inscribed, and the artwork created from your submission will be added to the Deviant Jeans Gallery, titled with your first name.
OK, ready to play?
- Visit the Deviant Jeans Facebook Fan page and click on ‘Discussions.’
- Find the topic “Message of Strength Contest!”
- Add your Message of Strength! Examples (but don’t use these, please): “Fight Like a Girl” / “If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it.”
- After you type your message, add ‘#mybcblog’ to indicate you learned about the contest here.
- You’ve got until Friday, June 18 at 5:00 PM to participate.
Ghost Whisperer Stands Up to Cancer
Monday, April 26th, 2010The folks at the TV show “Ghost Whisperer” are teaming with the organization Stand Up To Cancer in the hopes of bringing together the best and the brightest in the cancer community. Throughout the seasons, “Ghost Whisperer” has created promotional materials they’d love for you to check out. They’ve got an interactive game. And The Constellation. And information on teaming up yourself. And if you want to be inspired, check out these touching and moving videos:
“Ghost Whisperer” is standing up to cancer — how about you?
The Rose Run: Register Now!
Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
I’ve got the perfect 5K for you. It’s called The Rose Run, and it takes place on Saturday, July 17, 2010 in Petersburg, Michigan. Well, that’s one place it takes place. It also happens wherever you’ll be on that very day — Cleveland, Boston, Denver, Los Angeles, heck, any location in the United States, really. You name it, you can run (or walk) it.
Call it a virtual run, a run from a distance, whatever you want — just gather a few of your friends, form a team, and plan to participate, because I promise you it will make Race Director Jessica Cribbs one happy girl. You see, Jessica lost her mother to breast cancer in January 2009, and this run is in honor of the brave and courageous Rose Hunt. It’s also in support of everyone out there fighting the same disease, and the money raised through the event will benefit breast cancer research. Last year, Jessica raised more than $10,000. Her goal was $2,000.
If you’re game for helping Jessica raise a bunch more cash this year, check out this scoop on registering. And if you do register, leave a comment and let us know from where you’ll be pounding the pavement. We’d love to know.
Charting My Survival, One Kid at a Time
Monday, April 5th, 2010
Easter 2010
All I have to do to chart my progress post-cancer is to look at these kiddos. The one on the far left is Danny. He was 18 months old when I was diagnosed. He’ll be 7 in May. Next to him is cousin Jordan, a brand new baby at the time (and now 5), she sat with my mom at all of my chemo infusions. Jordan’s sister Tori, almost 3, was not even a thought when breast cancer consumed our lives. And Joey, almost 4 all those years ago, is now a big ‘ol 9-year-old.
What did I count this Easter, besides the 125 eggs I hid in our yard? My blessings. Here are four of them!
Zac Smith Praying to Survive
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010God Never Blinks: Book Giveaway
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
3 will win! / Photo: www.hachettebookgroup.com
Newspaper columnist and Pulitzer Prize finalist Regina Brett has some important things to say, like:
- Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
- If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
- Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
Inspiring stuff, right?
It gets better.
Brett, who in 2006 wrote these and 47 more lessons for the Cleveland Plain Dealer in honor of her 50th birthday, now has a book: God Never Blinks: 50 Lessons for Life’s Little Detours. And in this pretty little book, she takes her lessons and turns them into deeply personal essays. It all flows from her reflection on being a single parent, looking for love, working on her relationship with God, battling cancer and making peace with a difficult childhood — you know, the stuff to which we all can relate in our own private ways.
But wait, it’s gettin’ even better.
Three (3!) of you lucky readers are about to score a copy of Brett’s book. Want to be in the running? Keep reading. Oh, and hey, I hope you win, because this is just the kind of book that can help you live a happy and fulfilling life. Believe me, I have a copy right by my side, and I’m soaking up all sorts of wisdom, like this: Breathe. It calms the mind. Yea, I gotta remember that.
- Leave a comment and share one of your own life lessons!
- Leave your comment no later than 5PM ET on Wednesday, March 17, 2010.
- You may enter only once.
- Open to legal residents of the United States and Canada only, who are 18 and older.
- One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
- Three winners will receive one copy of God Never Blinks (valued at $21.99).
- No P.O. boxes.
- Winners will be notified by email, so make sure to check next week to find out if you’ve won!
1/2 Marathon: Numbers Change
Sunday, February 14th, 2010Official results are in, and I lied about my 1/2 marathon time. It’s better than 2 hours, 13 minutes and 53 seconds. It’s 2 hours, 12 minutes and 33 seconds. I came in 34th out of 49 in my age group (35-39) and 185th out of all women overall — not sure how many there were total.
1/2 Marathon: The Numbers Are In!
Sunday, February 14th, 2010
Me, to the left of the guy in orange / minutes from the finish line
I’m not very good at math. In fact, my third-grader has pretty much out-paced me now that he’s mastering the metric system — yikes! But that doesn’t mean I don’t like numbers. I actually really like them when they have some significance in my life.
Not as unhappy as I look, just tired.
I like to say I’m 39 years old (age is kind of like a badge of honor after cancer), that I’ve been married for 14 years, that I have 2 boys (born weighing 10 pounds, 9 ounces and 10 pounds, 2 ounces), that I went to college for 6.5 years, that I’ve survived breast cancer for 5 years, and, now, today, I get to add some new numbers to my bag of tricks. Here goes:
Today, I ran 13.1 miles in 2 hours, 13 minutes and 53 seconds, and it was 29 degrees when I started. I scored 1 pretty medal, 2 hand-made little-boy signs (”Mom, you are a star” on Joey’s sign and “You are good moon mom” on Danny’s sign) and 2 free bagels and some water after the race.
With my mom cooking 1 glorious pasta meal for dinner and John promising me 1 massage later for Valentine’s Day, I’m counting this as a pretty good numbers day — although tomorrow might be a good time to start counting carbs (bagels, pasta!).
1/2 Marathon: Running with Ribbons
Saturday, February 6th, 2010
Ribbon Ready!
The 1/2 marathon I’m going to run next Sunday is kind of like me making a statement. And what I’m saying is that I’m really not that wimpy, after all. Yea, I cried whined the other day when a basketball smacked me in the face during a family game of P-I-G, and I always wimper about doing oh, five regular push-ups, but when it comes to the big stuff (like birthing big babies, beating breast cancer and running long distances), I’m kind of tough.
I’m also saying that the body is a miraculous thing. It can get sick, withstand tortuous treatments and somehow rebound into a healthy, fighting machine. I’ll prove it by crossing the finish line after 13.1 miles with the same legs that five years ago were so weak they could barely support me.
These statements aren’t really visible to anyone else, though — just the stuff that motivates me personally.
I will be running with some tangible statements on race day, though, when I sport one blue ribbon, one orange ribbon and one pink ribbon. Here’s what they’ll say: My orange ribbon will say that I’ve donated blood, my blue ribbon will say that I’ve received blood and my pink ribbon, well, who doesn’t know what that says. Pink is not really part of the event, I’m just adding it, but blue and orange are, because the Five Points of Life race I’m doing raises awareness for the five ways to share life with others through the donation of blood, apheresis, marrow, cord blood, organ and tissue.
Just one week until I make all my 1/2 marathon statements. Then I’ll have to decide on something else to shoot for: an injury-free game of hoops, maybe, or a personal push-up challenge.
Nah.
Push-ups make me crabby.
Keep the Whole World Cancer Free
Saturday, February 6th, 2010Thanks to reader Macy for heading me to this fun video, part of the Stand Up to Cancer movement and starring Jim Parsons — the guy who plays Sheldon on TV’s “The Big Bang Theory” (never watched it myself, but Macy says Sheldon is her fave). So, can you spare 3 minutes? Then take a peek, and tell me what you think.
Hat’s Off to Nancy
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010
Nancy
I happen to think bald girls in hats are really very cute, and yet, I never thought of myself that way when I had my very own shiny scalp. I covered that thing with a wig the minute my hair was gone, and I only took it off once my locks were back. I’m sure most chemo-stricken gals would agree: it’s really hard to look at just a face.
I mean, hair is important, just look at the whole industry built around it. We shampoo, condition, straighten, curl, color, fluff, puff and otherwise primp most days of our lives. It’s quite shocking when the hair is gone, which is why I admire those — like Nancy — who can just slap on a cap and proceed with grace.
Nancy has been a breast cancer survivor since June 1, 2009, when she was diagnosed with invasive lobular carcinoma. She’s been documenting her journey on her blog, Milk Dud Warrior, which you really should visit, but in a nutshell, she’s had surgery, chemotherapy and she’s now in the throes of radiation. Her story is inspiring, and I promise you’ll like it. Bonus: you’ll get to see her in the loveliest of hats!
Hope
Sunday, January 17th, 2010
2005, post-chemo
Five years ago, I was in a hospital bed, too weak from chemo to stand up.
2010, post-run
Today, I ran 11 miles.
See, there is always hope.
When You Need to Smile
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010
Photo: One in a Million / [ tumblr ]
I’ve always loved inspirational quotes and uplifting passages. Once while in grad school, I wrote down all my favorites and looked at them whenever my spirits dipped. I even have a folder in a filing cabinet with motivational bits and pieces (those grad school quotes are tucked inside). So when 22-year-old Sara shared in a comment that she crafted a blog especially for herself and her mom — who has an extremely rare type of cancer that can’t be cured — I was instantly intrigued. In one swift click, I was on her site, called One in a Million. It’s “a place to come when you really need to smile,” writes Sara. And she’s right. Pay her a visit, and you will smile. But you also might feel emotional, and a tear or two might stream down your face, but not in a sad way, just in a touch-your-heart kinda way. For sure. I promise.
I Run For Life
Tuesday, January 12th, 2010Today, I listened to this song during my 4-mile run, and it’s the very thing that helped me finish. That means it’s definitely going last on my 1/2 marathon playlist, because just when I’m convinced 13.1 miles is way too much for one person to accomplish, I’m going to need a reminder that really, it’s totally and completely do-able. I’m running for life, after all — how hard can it be to pound the pavement for two hours?
(Melissa Etheridge)
It’s been years since they told her about it
The darkness her body possessed
And the scars are still there in the mirror
Everyday that she gets herself dressed
Though the pain is miles and miles behind her
And the fear is now a docile beast
If you ask her why she is still running
She’ll tell you it makes her complete
[Chorus:]
I run for hope
I run to feel
I run for the truth
For all that is real
I run for your mother, your sister, your wife
I run for you and me, my friend
I run for life
It’s a blur since they told me about it
How the darkness had taken its toll
And they cut into my skin and they cut into my body
But they will never get a piece of my soul
And now I’m still learning the lesson
To awake when I hear the call
And if you ask me why I am still running
I’ll tell you I run for us all
[Chorus:]
I run for hope
I run to feel
I run for the truth
For all that is real
I run for your mother your sister your wife
I run for you and me my friend
I run for life
And someday if they tell you about it
If the darkness knocks on your door
Remember her remember me
We will be running as we have before
Running for answers
Running for more
I run for hope
I run to feel
I run for the truth
For all that is real
I run for your mother, your sister, your wife
I run for you and me my friend
I run for hope
I run to feel
I run for the truth
For all that is real
I run for your mother your sister, your daughter, your wife
For you and me my friend
I run for life
Ohohohoh
I run for your mother your sister your wife
I run for you and me my friend
I run for life
