Exactly nine years ago today, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer at the ripe old age of 26 years old. Yup, I did it all - double mastectomy, chemo, radiation, egg retrieval, Herceptin and am still on Tamoxifen for a total of 10 years. And as you know, lipstick was something I treasured. That bright pink lip at chemo is what kept me going and feeling bright and sparkly...especially around the holidays. Today, I look back on these past nine years and think about all I've gone through. And every year around Christmas, I hear that song by John and Yoko..."War is Over" and cry in my car.
....So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young
A very Merry Christmas
And a happy new year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong...
And every year, I reflect on the last. This year? It was a tough one.
I had my heart broken. I got divorced. But I also found new beginnings. I found love in a new way. I became the woman I always wanted to be (thanks Diane von Furstenburg for that saying). And I kept pushing through even when I thought I couldn't. I rang the NYSE bell. But most importantly, I am healthy, I am happy and I am living life!
But December 12 will always be a weird day for me. No, it's not the day that I finished treatment. Because technically, I'm still taking pills to keep the cancer away. It was the day I was diagnosed with cancer, and changed me for the better. But the one thing that still helps me "fight pretty" even through heartbreak, is that damn bright pink lipstick.
So, I'm officially making December 12 a new holiday: The Holiday of Hope. Next year, and every year after, I ask that you join with me to help women battling cancer feel beautiful. Let's do something to give them hope...maybe some bright pink lipstick could do just the trick!