I had been thinking about writing about October but thought it was too soon. Then this months magazines started arriving. I work in an office and get lots of magazines for the lobby. They all have a tendency to come in around the same time and the pink has begun.
If it’s a “women’s magazine” then there is absolutely no avoiding it, plan on articles about your breasts, celebrity breasts, breast cancer, advances in treatment, what to do if you’re diagnosed and almost always an article about a woman who had breast cancer and has now changed her life and works with lepers. No disrespect intended, cancer will change your life but that article always makes me feel like a slacker.
You may feel safer picking up a car magazine but there’s Ford with their warrior campaign or BMW wanting you to test drive a car for a cure. Fine, I’ll look at a cooking magazine. Not without an ad for the pink edition of your favorite mixer, blender or waffle iron.
I remember walking into the grocery store and feeling like I was drowning in pink. If it’s not out there already be on the look out for the pink stamps on everything from soup to nuts. The sporting goods store is even in on it with pink tennis balls, skis and pink boxing gloves (no I’m not kidding). If you’re traveling there are hotels donating and you can walk for the cure on cruise ships. The list goes on and on.
Prepare yourself because this can be an emotional ambush situation. Just like when someone famous is diagnosed and suddenly cancer is the center of the world, October is the pinkest month of all. Don’t be surprised if you feel like buying all kinds of things you don’t need, or alternately if you don’t want to go into a store. If you find yourself having a really difficult time with this talk to someone, be that an online support group, minister, therapist. You’re not the only one out there and there are other people in the same boat, you just need to find them. And if you see someone struggling in the chip aisle say hello, it could be me.
Of course, if October is your favorite month of the year because you can buy pink M&M’s then party on. I’ve put some helpful links below:
www.komen.org
http://thinkbeforeyoupink.org/
http://www.youngsurvival.org
http://www.networkof strength.org
I had been thinking about writing about October but thought it was too soon. Then this months magazines started arriving. I work in an office and get lots of magazines for the lobby. They all have a tendency to come in around the same time and the pink has begun.
If it’s a “women’s magazine” then there is absolutely no avoiding it, plan on articles about your breasts, celebrity breasts, breast cancer, advances in treatment, what to do if you’re diagnosed and almost always an article about a woman who had breast cancer and has now changed her life and works with lepers. No disrespect intended, cancer will change your life but that article always makes me feel like a slacker.
You may feel safer picking up a car magazine but there’s Ford with their warrior campaign or BMW wanting you to test drive a car for a cure. Fine, I’ll look at a cooking magazine. Not without an ad for the pink edition of your favorite mixer, blender or waffle iron.
I remember walking into the grocery store and feeling like I was drowning in pink. If it’s not out there already be on the look out for the pink stamps on everything from soup to nuts. The sporting goods store is even in on it with pink tennis balls, skis and pink boxing gloves (no I’m not kidding). If you’re traveling there are hotels donating and you can walk for the cure on cruise ships. The list goes on and on.
Prepare yourself because this can be an emotional ambush situation. Just like when someone famous is diagnosed and suddenly cancer is the center of the world, October is the pinkest month of all. Don’t be surprised if you feel like buying all kinds of things you don’t need, or alternately if you don’t want to go into a store. If you find yourself having a really difficult time with this talk to someone, be that an online support group, minister, therapist. You’re not the only one out there and there are other people in the same boat, you just need to find them. And if you see someone struggling in the chip aisle say hello, it could be me.
Of course, if October is your favorite month of the year because you can buy pink M&M’s then party on. I’ve put some helpful links below:
www.komen.org
http://thinkbeforeyoupink.org/
http://www.youngsurvival.org
http://www.networkof strength.org