We all need a little more pink in our lives.

So true, right? I must admit that if I meet you and learn that you *hate* the color pink, we're just not gonna hit it off. Bestest knows... we've had these conversations. I'll say "yeah, there's this girl in my group [or class or office or whatever] and she's nice and all... but she told me she detests pink. I'm just not sure if I can be friends with her." Shallow, much? Perhaps. But girls, it's true. As my friend, Pammy, says... pink is a lifestyle. It's OK if pink is not your favorite. You don't even have to love it. Just don't *hate* it. Alright? As for me, I live in a world of pink with pink sparkles on a bed of freshly cut metallic pink blades of grass. So in celebration of all things PINK...

Welcome, October! National Breast Cancer Awareness month! The month of pink! The month of my birthday! The month where my favorite season begins! My favorite month of the year!!! And did I mention it's pink?!?!

October is special to me for the reasons I mentioned, but it's also a very important month because of the awareness it brings to breast cancer every year. Ten years ago my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. She discovered the lump herself while taking her morning shower. The first doctor she saw didn't think much of it, but he had it screened anyway. She had told me what was going on as they were waiting for results. I was up at UGA... it was my junior year. At first I remember thinking, surely this is nothing. The doctor's going to say it's all good and she'll be totally fine. But I distinctly remember sitting alone on one of the UGA buses inbetween classes one afternoon - and I just knew. I don't know why - I hadn't heard back yet from my parents... but I just knew it was cancer. Sure enough my dad called me later that afternoon and told me the news. My mom was too upset to talk. I can't even imagine the feelings she and my dad must've felt when they heard the news first hand. I think I appreciate that fear so much more today, being 10 years older myself.

We were SO blessed that the cancer was discovered early. After surgery, several rounds of chemo and radiation, my mom made a full recovery and is still cancer-free today. How amazing. And I'm constantly reminded of how blessed we are when I look around and see other loved ones lost to the disease. My mother's best friend lost her sister to breast cancer recently. It was so heartbreaking for all of us. It was most gut-wrenching to see an elderly mother having to bury her daughter. No parent should have to do that. It's just not supposed to work that way, right? But it's all around us - it affects us all. And so I'm especially thankful for campaigns like this that shove it in our faces and make us think and make us act. I'm sure we'll all have heard more than we care to hear about breast cancer and get over-dosed on pink ribbons this month, but do take the time to get educated and spread the word to your loved ones. Even take a few extra dollars this month to give towards finding a cure. And of course... go out and sport that PINK!!! :-)