Reflecting...

We are excited! We have been in touch with Ovarian Cancer Canada and they are supporting us 100% in our fundraising Zeal for Teal Day on May 2nd. They are going to list ‘Zeal for Teal’ on their official Coming Events page, too, and have indicated that they will be sending us some material to share with participants. And get this, they have even asked if I would consider being a speaker and trained presenter for their Listen to the Whispers program. Yikes!

I know Zeal for Teal is focused on a wonderful day of scrapbooking and cardmaking, and the events we have planned are intended to put a smile on participant’s faces. That is our goal and we are bound and determined to make this a day to remember.

But as I consider our purpose for doing this and Amanda my rocking-good daughter’s motivation for turning an idea into a reality, I think back to April 24th, 2008. I remember saying to Gilles, my hubby – “No, of course you don’t need to come with me (to the doctor’s.) I’m just menopausal and my uterus is probably a little out of whack. As I sat in the doctor’s office and she walked in uttering those words…The news isn’t good…” I remember the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. And when she continued with…Ovarian cancer…’ I remember nothing. My world came crashing down and within moments I was mentally planning my own funeral.

We got through that day. The hardest part was when we had to stand before our children and tell them. But we found strength in each other and God’s grace and mercy took over. We rallied. We cried. We prayed and we cried some more. But then we got on with life, with chemo and I put on my ‘big girl panties’ as Amanda and Janice like to say, and we did it. The road was not easy, but here we are almost 11 months later and I guess I am now considered a survivor. No one knows what is around that corner, but my faith and my family have helped me take stock of what is truly important and if I can help someone else or encourage more women to become more aware of their bodies, then I will do it.

The intention of this day is not for people to attend out of pity or any other such motivation. We want to help do our part to raise awareness about Ovarian Cancer and to make sure women know what ovarian cancer is and what they can do about it in a fun-filled, exciting way. There will be no hard lectures or great speeches on May 2nd about cancer, but there will be information available and people to talk to if you are interested. We are getting together to celebrate and have fun while doing something positive for the cause!

Will you join us?