Her name was Lina. I loved seeing her at school functions. With her lovely smile, she would greet me in her unassuming way. We would talk about raising 4 young children and the upcoming school year. We only saw each other for those brief times at the school. But I felt like my spirit was lifted after those conversations full of laughter and friendship. I won't see Lina at parent orientation this week. Lina lost her battle with breast cancer 2 years ago. I remember when my oldest son came home on that day and said to me, "Mom, Aya's mother died." I said, "What? How is that possible?" He said, "I heard she had breast cancer." I never knew. My heart ached for her children, her husband, her family, her friends, and all who were lucky enough to spend time with Lina. I couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that she was gone.
I'm joining my friend, Hyacynth over at Undercover Mother, sharing stories to raise awareness about breast cancer and to encourage women and men to sign up to become one in a million to find a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime.
Quoting wonderful Hyacynth:
Army of Women is a non-profit organization run by a grant from the Avon Foundation for Women. It connects breast cancer researchers via the internet with people who are willing to participate in a wide variety of research studies aimed at determining the causes of breast cancer and how to prevent it. The goal of Army of Women is to recruit ONE MILLION MEN AND WOMEN of all ages (older than 18) and ethnicities to help further research.
Throughout October, please visit the Bigger Picture Blogs community to read breast cancer stories about loss, hope, survival, strength, research, and education.
Please consider joining Army of Women's valiant quest to make a healthier and happier future free of the threat of breast cancer.
Since Lina's death, my son has come home 2 more times telling me of more mothers who lost their battle to breast cancer. I don't want my children to have to bear those sad tidings anymore. I don't want to see the unease, worry, and sadness in my son's eyes when he has to speak the unspeakable to me. Let's unite for life!! Thank you for reading :)
