Waves of Pink II: Common Ground, Uncommon Courage

One in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. It’s a frightening statistic. On average, every two minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer. 

They are our wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, family, lovers, and friends. Our neighbors and co-workers. They come from all walks of life, all nationalities, and all economic and social classes. We see their strength and recognize their courage, even when they don’t.

The dictionary defines courage as the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, or intimidation. It’s the ability to do something frightening. Courage is strength in the face of pain or grief. 

What kind of courage does a diagnosis of breast cancer demand? Is it the courage to face uncertainty? Is it the courage to tell your family and friends you have breast cancer? Is it the courage to face the mirror when you’ve lost your hair and you don’t recognize your own body? Is it the courage to advocate for yourself, even when you are afraid? 

Uncommon Courage. It requires discovering the courage inside of you that grows and matures until you don’t recognize it as courage—it just becomes an intrinsic part of who you are.