Smile for the birdie!

Last month when I had a follow up appointment with my surgeon, Liberty Hoberman, she asked me if I had heard of the American Cancer Society's fundraiser, Relay for Life. She told me that she was putting together a team from the office, and was asking a few of her patients if they would be willing to be professionally photographed as inspiration to other cancer fighters and survivors. She went on to tell me that she loved my smile and twinkling eyes, and wondered if I would like to be one of those patients! I said yes, of course!

So, yesterday we gathered together at DeVries studio, after meeting first at Alpen Rose for lunch and introductions. There were seven of us in all, including Liberty, and we all dressed in black. Two of us wore hats (I was one of those), one wore her wig and the other three showed off their new hair. We were photographed individually and then as a whole group, with Liberty in the center. It was a powerful experience to be among other strong, positive women who have come through cancer and chemo on the winning side. We laughed and talked and compared experiences, and found that we had a lot in common, of course. They were a gentle and kind group of women, and I felt proud to have been asked to be a part of them.

We were able to see the photo results immediately and we all chose our favorite shots of ourselves. They all were beautiful, and dramatic with our being dressed in black. I think we were all pleasantly surprised! Liberty plans on having the photos of each of us blown up and set on easels by their booth at Relay for Life. We were each asked to write down a word that sums up our experiences, and those words will be placed under our photos. So if you're participating in the Relay, which is June 4 & 5, be sure and look for my smiling face on one of the easels!