In 1998 I lost one of the greatest women I've ever known to breast cancer. My Aunt Lin died when she was just a few years younger than I am now. Far too young. She was a mother to 4, a step-mother to 3, a sister, a daughter, an aunt and a wife. Many people miss her. My children never got to meet her and she never got to meet her grandchildren.
I also have many friends who have fought the battle, and won, and a courageous young woman who had genetic testing, discovered that her odds of developing breast cancer were astronomical, and she voluntarily had a double mastectomy before the cancer hit. They are all courageous women!
Cancer hit us again a few years ago when our former pastor, and dear friend, was diagnosed at the age of 40. Her daughter and my daughter were the same age, so the reality of cancer struck my daughter. She watched our friend, and one of her best friend's mother, going through this horrible disease. It was hard for her to watch and we spent a lot of talking about what happens.
In honor of all these women, but especially my Aunt Lin, I am doing a give away.
I like to sew and knit and run an Etsy shop. I made this apron, and it is only available on the give away.
The main fabric has the words faith, hope, love and charity throughout. The pocket, band and ties are the pink ribbon material.
This is a one size fits most. I am a size 14/16, and as you can see, it fits me fine, and there is plenty of room in the ties to expand it. If you're smaller, you can wrap the ties around.
It's cotton material, so it is washable and dryable.
This give away is open to everyone of any age, and there are many ways to enter.
Comment and tell me how breast cancer has affected your life.
Comment and tell me you're a survivor (YAY!) and get 2 entries.
Share on Facebook, Twitter, via e-mail, on your own blog - comment and tell me where/how you shared it and get an entry for each method you shared.
Comment and tell me what month you had your mammogram.
If you haven't had your mammogram, get on the phone and get it scheduled!! Then comment and tell me when it's scheduled.
Comment and tell me where you did a breast cancer walk.
Comment with your favorite breast cancer saying - "Save the TaTas" and so on.
Yes, this means you can have multiple entries. One for each comment!!
The whole purpose of this is to spread the word. I had my mammogram earlier this month and everything is fine. (Thank you God!!) Yes, it's not the most comfortable, but the whole thing takes 15 minutes and can save your life.
Have a conversation with your friends and family. Pester them if you have to. Let's not let this just be a month where we wear pink. It's not about a fashion statement. It's about screening and being healthy. It's about being proactive.
That being said, my Aunt Lin would hate this apron. She was not a pink girl at all and she wasn't about "advertising" that she had cancer. She wasn't frilly at all. She was a hard working, strong and loving woman, and I wonder how different our lives and family would be if she were still here. So, I want to do this in her honor, and hopefully help a woman get screening that she might otherwise put off. Please get checked.
Drawing will run through October 31st.
