Breast Cancer and "Pink Stuff"

Last week was the Fourth of July. To commemorate the holiday, I purchased several red, white and blue items. They included the following:

American flag rhinestone earrings

Chocolate cupcakes with sprinkles

An Uncle Sam hat

Fourth of July paper napkins

A vanilla funfetti holiday cake

A tinsel wreath to decorate my front door

I enjoy decorating for the holidays.

There is another occasion I could purchase merchandise for—breast cancer survivorship. This merchandise is, of course, pink. I could have a whole household of pink items in celebration of overcoming breast cancer, but I don’t.

Why?

I don’t want to be reminded that I endured cancer twice. All that pink stuff would just bring me back to chemo treatments, radiation and surgeries. Who wants to go back? Breast cancer is no holiday.

Although I don’t like breast cancer memorabilia, millions of women do.

There are whole websites that sell pink items for breast cancer survivors. Bracelets, hoodies, bookmarks, can openers, earrings—anything you want.

A lot of people are making a lot of money off of cancer.

But at the same time, the cancer memorabilia is useful to family members and friends who want to show their support to their loved ones.

I do have one very special pink item that was given to me by my close friend’s mother. She handmade it before she lost her eyesight. It’s a pink, felt microwave body warmer filled with rice. My mother wanted to cut it in half and take part of it home to warm her back muscles. I said, “Don’t you dare touch it.”

In all fairness, some of the money that is made off of pink items goes into cancer research.

So it’s a mixed bag.

Breast cancer paraphernalia is not my thing, but it might be yours. If you feel that it empowers you, by all means buy it and use it and wear it in good health.