Celebrate Courage

Me and my niece (3) becoming friends

I've been gone from home 4 days now. I spent the first half  of my vacation in Las Vegas with my sister and nieces and my mom, attending Women Of Faith, a Christian women's conference and inspirational "high" filled with celebrity speakers and big name recording artsists.  It was fantastic!  Flying out to Las Vegas, I sat next to a couple on the plane, and we talked for 2 hours together. Not once did I ever tell them I was a cancer survivor (I know, shocking isn't it?)  Until......the last 5 minutes of flight when the wife asked me about the ring on my finger. That was when I explained that I was a breast cancer survivor. Maybe I am moving forward? Maybe I am just seeing my life as more than just cancer.  I am so much more than cancer. It's not the first thing I would say about myself anymore.

This morning my mom and I flew to California where I will spend a few days with she and my dad, as well as with my brother and wife and their 3 year old. What a precious gem!  Somehow just a handful of days never seems to be enough to make up for the 25 years of separation I have had living away from my own family.  But I am fortunate to be able to enjoy my sister's airline flight priveledges, and to be my own boss and pack up and leave it all behind for a vacation "away". It's been good.  It's been needed.  While in Las Vegas I sat next to a woman at the conference whom I became friends with. She is my sister's co-worker.  As she told me about her life, she explained that her mother had breast cancer and just finished her treatments. I told  her I was also a survivor.  Right then, I slid my new pink rubber ring off my finger and told her to give it to her mom.  It says "Celebrate Courage" on it. Celebrating Courage - Now THAT's what it is all about!

Nycole wearing the pink ring I gave her to give to her mom.