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How I See It . . . . .

By Linda Bruch for the Cut Bank Pioneer Press

Thursday, October 12, 2006 11:22 AM MDT

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. In the world of women's health, this could be one of the most important months of the year. It serves as a gentle reminder for all women to schedule their yearly mammogram and any other uncomfortable exam that may be necessary. We don't take pleasure in any of those yearly exams, however, the importance of completing them far outweighs a few moments of embarrassment or unease.

Mammograms save lives or add years to a life that may have ended much sooner had the cancer not been detected in its early stage. My mom's cancer was first found in her breast and though that ugly disease ultimately took her life, her yearly mammogram gave her more years than she might have been given otherwise.

Mom did all the right things as far as taking care of herself. She ate right, exercised by walking every day and never missed going in for her annual mammogram. It didn't seem fair that if you did all the right things to ensure good health, it could still be stripped from you. However, I am also of the belief that it is because of those good things she did for herself that earned her more time in this world.

While cancer can take so much from a life, it couldn't take away the core of who my mom really was. It couldn't take her dignity, quiet grace and the overall beauty she had on the outside and the inside.

It never gave her reason to complain nor was it an excuse for not getting something done or being nasty or mean to those she loved. Cancer was never a reason for rude behavior or for treating others in a cold or callous manner. In Mom's eyes, feeling bad didn't warrant bad behavior. She was so right.

When cancer took its hold, Mom dealt with pain beyond comprehension. Yet one week before she died, she put the finishing touches on 50 handmade Christmas cards, cutting out little green Christmas trees and handwriting a Christmas message inside each card. I know how difficult and painful all of this was for her as I sat with her that day helping her make the last Christmas card any of us would ever receive from her. Each movement was deliberate and slow and required more effort than she really had to give. Yet she didn't stop or whine and at the completion of the project, a brief smile passed over her lips. I've never seen a more impressive display of determination and perseverance in my whole life.

Breast cancer has the tendency to run in families and I live with that thought everyday, as do many others who have had someone close afflicted. I can only hope that the fortitude, determination and strength I got from my mom as a gift of being her child, will never leave me, no matter what life throws at me.

I'm glad October has been set aside as the month in which all of us will think about, be aware of and learn what we can do in the fight against breast cancer. So ladies get those yearly mammograms and other icky exams out of the way. They aren't all that bad and besides they are the only steps we have towards prevention, so that makes them even more necessary.

On top of that stay healthy, exercise and live every moment for all it's worth, because each one is worth a lot.

Thanks for all the wonderful moments I had with you in this world, Mom. There is a special place in my heart for each one. I miss you so.

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posted by Cheryl Levesque @ 12:55 PM