I was never a girl who was in to pink anyway. These days, I have to really fight to not be bitter about it.
I don’t begrudge them their month. I’m even continually impressed by how many organizations step up and promote the pink.
It crushes me, however, to watch it push into September.
September is for the kids.
September is gold.
Where are those organizations when the kids are involved? Why isn’t my soup can gold, and why aren’t my favorite receiver’s gloves gold, and where are the gold ribbon displays at the grocery, and the convenience store, and, well, dammit, where is the gold?
I see it here and there, in part because I am looking. Because much of my social network is looking, and we share the images. We celebrate the businesses that support the kids that are fighting. We hunt it out, the gold.
The pink? It’s everywhere. My emails are full of it, my stores are flooded with it. They’ve worked hard for that, and I know we all know someone who has been touched by breast cancer, but I know so many who have been touched by pediatric cancer! I know how drastically underfunded research is where the kids are concerned. I know what the ramifications can be of the limited treatment options that exist for our kids. I’ve seen the young athlete battling his way back from a wheelchair to a walker. I’ve seen the aspiring singer suffer such dramatic hearing loss. I’ve visited the grave of a little girl who spent more of her short 10 years on this earth fighting cancer than she did living without it.
So, I try to not be bitter, I know that cancer is hard for anyone, but I cannot help but want the gold to be as recognizable as the pink. For it to be as supported as the pink.
I at least want it to get to use its whole month, without being crowded out by the pink….
Yes. I couldn't agree more, with every single word.
ReplyDeleteThe awareness is spreading, and it will continue to spread IF people like you and I continue to say things like this, continue to challenge people to think about uncomfortable things.
Thank you for being a champion for the cause!