Friday, May 11, 2012

I felt like a winner.

Last night I attended Pray for The Cure. It was a beautiful service that somehow encompassed every aspect of this terrible disease. It began with precious young girls from The South Side Mission performing. Each pretty girl had a bright pink flower in her hair. They danced to a Whitney Houston song. It set the mood for the service.

We prayed for a cure but that almost seemed secondary to our other prayers. We lifted up our caregivers, our doctors, research, technicians, nurses, ... My own breast surgeon sat behind me. She spoke about the grieving stages a person diagnosed with breast cancer experiences. Honestly, I think I went through each stage in my own way, but yes, I have grieved. She also prayed for the survivors. I was truly touched by her presence, her words, & mostly her prayer.

Toward the end of the service, we honored those we remember that have passed, those who fought the fight & now rest in peace with no more suffering. The survivors were given an opportunity to share how having breast cancer has effected their faith. This was an open microphone time, an opportunity for the survivors to share. About 7 or 8 women shared, some of them even thanking God for their journey. I had to say that having breast cancer has added a new dimension & depth to my faith. I thank God for that. I think gratitude was a part of every woman's heart who shared, possibly every woman's' heart who was present.

Lastly, each survivor was called to the front of the sanctuary according to the number of years they have survived. I believe the prize went to a survivor of 31 years. I was at the very bottom of the list, followed by one woman who has only been diagnosed for 2 months. We formed a horseshoe around the pews, held hands, & sang a beautiful song, written especially for this yearly occasion.

As we sang, I felt a certain connection with these fellow survivors, very powerful & unexpected. As I stood hand in hand with my comrades, I watched my husband singing with tears in his eyes. My heart melted. At the end of the song, as we were still all holding hands, we raised our hands. I felt like a winner. My gratitude was overflowing.




No comments:

Post a Comment