Let’s be honest. Cancer is a rotten, no good, six letter word that nobody should EVER have to deal with. No one should have to be the patient. No one should have to be the family or friend taking care of the patient. No one. Anywhere.
But cancer, like many other illnesses, is real.
I have had it. Chances are good that each of you reading this has known someone who has it, or might have even had it yourself. And although calling myself a survivor ROCKS, I will always live with the elephant in the room, wondering….waiting, crossing my fingers that the second line cancers from my high dose chemotherapy or radiation fizzle into molecular dust never to come together.
I was lucky.
Very lucky. My Hogdkin’s disease gave me a good fight over the course of six months and then again later when I recurred. I fought it, it fought me and, eventually, after a bone marrow transplant, I won. Victorious over the evil cells that had taken root in my body.
But more than the fight that my own body had inside me, there were family members and friends around me who wanted to fight in the battle as well. They wanted to be my warriors. My army. The ones that would keep me strong and make me remember the better days.
Fast forward to now… Today I am OVER THE MOON EXCITED to announce a collaboration between Just.Be.Enough, Bellflower Books, & Crickett’s Answer for Cancer to help women struggling with breast cancer and their families remember the better days. Because those better days are what get us through the really rotten ones.
Be Enough Me 4 Cancer
Bellflower Books creates stunning and unique memory books that are literally works of art reminding you of why you are loved, supported, and appreciated. They are perfect for any occasion. But to get one as a reminder of the good? To get one as a way to cope with illness? That is priceless. Crickett’s Answer support the self esteem and morale of women by providing pampering resources to women facing breast cancer. Put the two together and you get the Be Enough ME 4 Cancer campaign. Our goal is to provide up to TEN women fighting Breast Cancer a Bellflower book made by their family and friends, a work of art that will make these women smile and remember, and a treasured piece of family history for generations to come.
To do this we will need YOUR help. Bellflower Books will be sponsoring the Be Enough Me Monday link ups for ONE month, starting on August 22nd. For every 20 people that link up with a story of how they lived the Be Enough Me “feeling” that week, Bellflower will donate ONE $75 gift certificate to a family identified by Crickett’s Answer for the creation of a 20-page memory book. We will keep a running total of links over the four Mondays and hope to reach our goal of 120 links, which would provide TEN Bellflower memory books.
Not only will people who link up their Be Enough Me story feel confident, stand taller, and carry the weight of empowerment on their shoulders, but they will be helping women and families around the country remember the good days, the moments, the and the people who inspire the all-out war on this debilitating and demoralizing disease.
A Special Dedication
AND – in case there was not enough emotion in me for this announcement – I am dedicating this campaign to the fabulous, the stunning, the brave and courageous Susan Niebur (aka @Whymommy).
Susan was actually the one who introduced me to Crickett’s Answer earlier this year through another campaign bringing awareness and help to women needing Lymphedema sleeves. She was recognized at the Type A Parent conference for her bloganthropy work. Susan is a mom, an astrophysicist, a writer and a friend…and she is fighting metastatic breast cancer in her spine, hip, and ribs – STILL after four years. Susan is a woman who through her quietness and personal strength supports other women, supports research efforts, and is truly a phenomenal advocate.
Are you ready to Be Enough?
So for each of us as we work on being enough and the amazing women fighting breast cancer everywhere who need to remember the good days, please link up right HERE…..next Monday and each Monday after that for a month.
xo
Elena
About Elena
This is awesome! I’m going to schedule a ton of tweets to go out while I’m away, to remind people about this. We need to work it – HARD!
Mrs. Jen B recently posted..Alton’s Mac and Cheese
Hope you have a FABULOUS trip my friend!!
Thanks so much for featuring us, Elena! We’re blessed to partner with you and Bellflower Books. Can’t wait for our first client to receive a memory book!
I am so glad to have been able to put all of this together Carole. I just hope that it not only brings the women who write their stories empowerment, but the women who receive the memory books, much needed joy.
This is an amazing, amazing collaboration.
I am humbled to be part of it and can’t wait to get the word out and really bring some positivity into the lives of cancer patients.
angela recently posted..The Other Side of the Door
An amazing campaign Elena! Will be doing all I can to support this!
A wonderful idea! You are all amazing woman.
Stephanie recently posted..My Favourite Wedding Photo
Thanks Stephanie!! I hope it helps us embed the idea of being enough in our hearts and brings much needed reminders of happy days to the women fighting for their lives.
Elena recently posted..Translating Him
This rocks my world, seriously. We’re gonna make this happen!
Robin recently posted..The Me I Am Today
Yes–yes we are
How exciting and touching to be part of something so very special and that will be so very meaningful to so many women! Feeling like a blessed lucky lady (again)! You Rock Elena!!!! -Laverne
KindredAdventures recently posted..34 Mile Moments: Week 7
Very inspiring and so needed! I just posted a story today about how cancer has touched my life, my mother died of lung cancer and my father now has stage IV esopgageal cancer. Please read the post here: http://readyin5weeks.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-do-you-maintain-fitness-through.html
Kristy Wilce recently posted..How Do You Maintain Fitness through Adversity (Fitness Blog World post)
Thank you— and I am so sorry about your mom—and your dad. Sending prayers!
Elena, this is beautiful and amazing – just like you.
I hope that hundreds of women take part, standing up to say that today, it is enough. We are enough.
I’ll try to be back on Monday and join the crowd.
Susan
Me too Susan! Me too–and you— stunning. Fierce. Passionate. xo
I missed this this week. but next week, I’m all over it!
Yeah! Can’t wait!!
This here? This is amazing and is what makes me so happy & so very proud to be a part of this!!
kelly recently posted..Be in the Moment of Conversations
This is SO awesome! What a wonderful cause and a great collaboration!
Kate F. recently posted..The Unique Qualifications of Motherhood
Totally awesome! I am so proud of you and can’t wait to link up on Monday!
Leticia- Tech Savvy Mama recently posted..Our Active Unplugged Vacation Inspired by Austin-Lehman Adventures
Thank you so much Leticia! I have been thrilled and in awe by the response!
Great idea! Kludgymom sent me your way! Love to support if I can. I’m in the breast cancer space too.
Diane at http://www.pink-pockets.com
Awesome! Good to do something good for someone else!
Absolutely! And doing something for someone else while being positive about ourselves— makes for one big dose of empowerment!
What a wonderful cause! Well, geez, I guess now I have to link up. As if it wasn’t hard enough for me the first time. You’re going to guilt me into feeling good about myself, huh?
Really, thank you for doing this. It is a cause very close to my heart.
story recently posted..Before I was a mom
I was hoping it would not be guilt that would sway you, but I am ok with an itty bit of guilt now and again.
Elena recently posted..Translating Him
I saw you mention this site in this week’s link up and never came over. Then, I saw Shelley post about this today in Twitter and here I am. We just got my grandmother home after 6 weeks in the hospital/rehab center and now they’re talking cancer. A book like this would be amazing to remind her how much she’s loved. I’m going to do my best to come back so that 10 lucky women can receive such an amazing gift.
Katrina – @craftsbykatie recently posted..Mamavation Monday
yea cancer is something no one should ever have to go thro i am on my 4 diffrent kind of cancer!!!! it has now went to the fluid in my brain im only 43 and am just devistated!!!!! but wnted to stop by abd say hi and to everyone out there fight the fight hard!!
candy
So there is a dedicated page on my blog to Cancer. You can find it here http://hopeloveandspeedskates.blogspot.com/p/beads-of-courage.html
It started as this project for Beads Of Courage, but then kind of evolved when my mom was diagnosed with lung cancer in March and then our dear friend Hanna died in April (she was 20). I recently just rode in the Pan Mass Challenge after a LONG road trip east, I spent the summer in Salt Lake City. I arrived at the start after 6 days on the road, passing home without stopping. It was an incredible journey (the PMC that is) and if I can finish the fundraising requirement, one I will attempt again.
Lisa recently posted..Curtis’s BBQ, then onto Burlington, finally!
This is incredible Elena!!
Congratulations. You are doing so much good.
Leighann recently posted..Ugly Thieving Trolls
Your story brings tears to my eyes.
And Kpugs’ story does, too.
So many reasons to be proud, and blessed, to be part of J.B.E.
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