Mind

OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH, AND THIS WEDNESDAY WIDE SMILE IS DEDICATED TO ANY WOMAN WHOSE LIFE HAS BEEN TOUCHED IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER BY BREAST CANCER.

Perseverance, Determination, Triumph and Hope are represented in the women of a watercolor entitled “Waiting for the Train”, created by artist Carla Cook Smith. A picture of Carla’s work is shown below and is accompanied by her narrative of what it represents. Together, they are powerful and inspriing and exemplify women’s inherent strength. So powerful and inspiring in fact that when you get to the end of the story you will want a print of this painting hanging somewhere prominently so as to be reminded regularly of the power of the human spirit.

moving her cart away and traveling down another aisle. A little while later, Linda found herself again in the vicinity of the young woman who continued to stare. “May I help you?” Linda asked more firmly. “I was just thinking how young you are to be so sick,” the woman commented. Seizing the moment, Linda pulled off her scarf in the middle of the store, revealing her newly bald head. (Semper Fi!) “I have lost my hair due to chemo treatments. This is part of what I have to do to get well.” Pam and Linda represent PERSEVERANCE.

The mother of a dear friend, Nancy (personified in red for the vibrant woman she is) is a recent widow. Just six short months after burying the love of her life, Nancy learned she had breast cancer. Chemo took away her hair but not her spirit. Her grace and poise remained in tact as she refused a wig and discovered a love for hats. Nancy is a talented painter and it saddened me to learn that she could not paint because the chemo made her hands shake. The unstoppable “Miss Nancy” wasted no time worrying about what she couldn’t do. Rather, she embraced sculpture and discovered a new talent within herself. Nancy represents DETERMINATION.

I first became acquainted with breast cancer when it interrupted the life of my neighbor and friend, Pat. A busy realtor and the mother of a severely handicapped child, Pat listened to the doctor pronounce her with cancer. “Okay. What is the next step?” she asked. To which the doctor said, “I don’t believe you understand, you have Stage 4 Inflammatory Breast Cancer.” Pat made it clear that she understood and she started asking more questions. The prognosis was grim (as evidenced by the baggage surrounding her), but she never wavered. She had a child who needed her. Death was not an option. She just got on the train. Chemo stop. Radiation stop. T-cells replaced stop. Mastectomy stop. This June marks the 10th year of Pat’s survival. Against all odds, she lives and her daughter thrives. Pat represents TRIUMPH over adversity.

The woman in blue is someone I don’t know. It’s someone’s mother, sister, neighbor, friend. The news is so fresh that she holds her baggage close to her as she waits for the train. Fortunately, for her when she boards the train, she will find a supportive network of caring people. Women are not merely surviving cancer. Women are living and thriving beyond disease and adversity. The woman in blue represents HOPE.

“Waiting for the Train” exemplifies choices beyond the harsh reality of illness.

You can own a print of “Waiting for the Train” and support breast cancer awareness as a portion of the proceeds is donated to a breast cancer awareness charity. Each print is beautifully matted and is $75. You may order directly by sending an email request to the artisit, Carla Cook Smith

And, remember…Feed Your Good Dog, so your good dog always wins!
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