When Hollye Jacobs was diagnosed with cancer she started a blog called The Silver Pen to write through her feelings and share her thoughts about chemo and everything else. (Gotta love a fellow blogger!!) Through that blog she reached women dealing with similar issues nationwide…and beyond during what was probably the hardest time of their life. Her project has led to the creation of an amazing book and now guide: The Silver Lining Companion Guide.
Backtracking:
I write this blog from a less…. painful place than that from which Hollye wrote hers. If you’ve been reading for a while you know I mix in a lot of personal stuff with some topics that may help you live a healthier life, or just make your general lifestyle a lil more kickass (if you will). I mix in my random life with sponsored pieces for companies that I either love, use daily, or resonate with.
Allstate coupling with the Silver Lining Companion Guide right in time for National Women’s Health Week really resonated strongly with me.
I’ve spoken candidly here about my late Aunt Shirley. She was a force, man. A force. (You would’ve loved her.) Her battle with cancer, and her untimely death impacted me deeply. My father’s side of the family is filled with strong women in various stages of their battles with cancer.
I’m so much more diligent about avoiding carcinogens, and doing my breast self exams frequently because of their experiences.
When I think of breast cancer, honestly, my feelings get very dark. I get angry about my aunt passing and that my other aunts are struggling. I get sad missing Aunt Shirley, I get worried, wondering if I’ll get it due to my family’s strong history. I get fearful for Kaya, wondering what the genetic future holds for her and I just get pissed that this crappy disease is still around at all. I mean seriously. It’s 2015. We’re supposed to have flying cars and a cure for cancer by now!
Anyway….
The Silver Lining Companion Guide really is a little ray of light. Although my thoughts surrounding breast cancer are dark, even as someone who hasn’t been diagnosed, this book is a great resource to show that there’s light in the darkness. It’s great for a perspective shift for the women fighting the big C, and loved ones affected tangentially. I don’t know how my Aunt Shirley coped, but I hope she had something similar to this. The guide has a lot of hope, that while it doesn’t negate all the other feelings, can really help keep balance.
Check out the book, and please recommend it to those you know impacted by the disease. Over 250K women are diagnosed each year, I’m certain you know someone impacted. The book is available in English and Spanish and you can get an online version HERE or pick up a hard copy at an Allstate agency if you have one nearby.
How do you cope and find silver linings?
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
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