Young Survivor Wendy H. Finds her "Inner Pink"

Wendy H. sent us the following email about an experience she had with a young man who has obviously had a sheltered life with no strife, and evidently has never known anyone with cancer. Way to go Wendy!

Dear Pink Ribbon Shop,

I have attached an account of an experience I had this past Mother's Day. It was the first time I ever been "challenged" as a cancer survivor. Up to that moment I had avoided referring to myself as a survivor, but the vehemence of the attack really brought my "Inner Pink" to the surface.

I have been looking for the right venue to share my story with. My husband thought I might submit it to a womans magazine or perhaps, MAMM magazine. But something about your email touched my heart and if sharing my story can help someone to find their survivor voice, then I know I made the right decision.

Thank you for your consideration. I love your website!

Awakening early on Mother's Day, my husband offered to take me to our local bagel shop for a quick nosh before beginning our family celebration. The courtyard was full of people and families. We picked a table outside in the sunshine and began a conversation with the table next to ours, a mother and son. She was wearing a pink ribbon visor and since it was the day after The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in SLC, we struck up a conversation about the event and the general feeling of camaraderie experienced there.

This led to a deeper discussion of the 'what kind of cancer' and 'how long ago' variety. We discussed type and length of treatment, family history, and swapped our surgery stories. At some point a younger couple came and sat just behind me at a nearby table. Deep in conversation with my new friend, I did not notice them. Suddenly the young man stood, confronted us, and began a loud barrage of protests at our conversation. He told us he was disgusted by our talk and outraged to hear such a discussion on Mother's Day. I told him he was obviously eavesdropping, could go inside if he didn't like it, and was completely missing the point. After more heated words, he did go inside.

My new friend and I determined we would not let this ruin our celebration and began to visit again. A young mother who was at the far side of the patio and had obviously witnessed the attack walked over to us. I quickly apologized if we had offended her. And then the most wonderful thing happened. She leaned over to us and said, "Way to go - I'm part of the Sisterhood too." She is a five-year survivor and, with that single sentence, an example of what could not, should not, be shut out. If we don't talk about it, if we don't share our experiences, we have not truly celebrated our survivor-ship. After a quick hug my new friend and I parted with words of encouragement and love. I went home to my children, and celebrated the most meaningful Mother's Day yet.