October is breast cancer awareness month. You will know someone diagnosed with breast cancer, you will not know what to say. Perhaps we can help. With my dearest Summer Sister’s permission I post the following letter sent to her back in July when she was newly diagnosed. The most important thing to say is I love you, the number of times you say it can’t ever be enough….
My Dearest Summer Sister,
I love you. Doesn’t seem like enough but I know it is. I’m here, albeit 400 miles away, and I can be there in a matter of hours.
What life has in store for us? Those statistics of one in eight ring loud in my ears as I count the people I would die for, you among them. Thank God we live in the time that we do, where technology meets spirituality at the tipping point of living a long and happy life. I have faith in your power of life, I have faith in your spirit, I have faith even if you don’t for a moment
or two.
There is much work to be done now. All of us are included in that work; we of the praying and universe summoning, you of the healing and positivity; we of the caring about….you, you of the caring for…yourself. It’s that time in your life to concentrate on the power you have within you to heal and love and live. We can guide, we can pray, we can run and do the errands, we can
clean and cook and cajole but you, my dear, must do the healing.
The options are endless, no wonder your mind is racing with questions and concerns. Find strength to hear all the options and know that you have people who can hear better than you at this moment in time. Rely on their clarity and understanding and counsel with them to your advantage. Blessed are the breast navigators of the world for they know like they know.
Leave a part of you open to the spiritual and emotional options. Consider them as part of your healing and enlist all those that you can to help you maneuver that territory. I, for one, will be sending strength and love daily and praying God gives you everything you need to draw wisdom and health from this turn.
Do not stay private with this for too long. I know you are a lone fighter sometimes and that can’t work this time. Give us the word and many upon many will be sending you strength and love. The power of that energy can’t be harnessed quickly enough. Let us do much of the spiritual work for you while you find your way to a healthy rest of your life.
I believe that you will be well soon. I believe that you will go on to live a happy and wonderful life. I believe that you deserve the most happy of endings.
I know like I know that life will never be the same but I believe that it can be better for you. You probably can’t hear that now but I will hold the thought for you and continue to pray for your safe passage through this rough water. Isak Dinesen said, “The cure for everything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea.” I will bring you, this time, to the Cape. For all that we’ve been through, for all that we are yet to go through, I remain your Summer Sister at the ready.
All my love, slc