October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Who doesn’t know this?  Last week the boys all wore pink ribbons to school to show that they are aware.  I was proud of them.  Joe left his on his sweatshirt and wears it to school most days now.  Hayden told me that it was for ladies that got sick in their breasts, and if I ever did, he would help daddy take care of me.

About eight years ago, Roy actually found a small lump in my breast.  He noticed it before I did, and I made an appointment with my OB.  She suggested I get it checked out just to be sure, and unfortunately, Roy had to be out of town when I had my mammogram.  Luckily it was nothing.  But I stood there in that cold room with my breast getting completely squished, and I prayed that it would be nothing.  I hoped it would be ok, because Roy wasn’t outside waiting for me.  I was fine, but it made me aware, and I make sure to check my breasts each month, and even though it’s no fun, I go in each year for my annual check up.

I urge everyone to watch Lifetime’s amazing movie, Five. It has five segments to it. Demi Moore, Jennifer Aniston, and Alicia Keys each directed one of them.  I laughed. I cried. But most of all, I got to thinking.  1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lives.  That means in a room of eight women, one of us will have, has, or had breast cancer. It’s an eye opening thought.  

It seems like every company out there has an item that they create to donate the proceeds to breast cancer research. 

I will be buying a t-shirt this year from Ford Cares. To date Ford has donated over 110 million dollars to breast cancer research. Incredible.

Fright rags, one of my favorite websites to look for wild t-shirts for the boys, has one of my favorite t-shirts for Breast Cancer research.

And since I love lipstick, I will also be buying one of Estee Lauder’s special, limited edition pink lipsticks.

And while I have never worn New Balance, each year they come out with a new sneaker for “Lace Up for the Cure.”

1 in 8 women will be affected, but it will touch us all at some point.  Do what you can. There are so many ways to help!