“Kiss Kiss,” one of her favorite sayings.
I’ll never forget the anguish of learning of my mother in law Pat’s breast Cancer. At first it seems surreal, like it wasn’t real or that perhaps it was just a dream I would wake from. Yet that dream turned into a nightmare, and in a matter of two years I lost my beloved mother-in-law to Cancer.
There would be no more gourmet dinners, sounds of the piano pouring out of the music room, or echoes of her woody-wood pecker laugh throughout her home. For years there would be a silence, so palpable and real you could feel it.
Pat knew she had a lump in her breast. Yet having many cysts in the past she ignored it and by the time she went to the doctor that lump had morphed into stage four breast cancer. I imagine it crossed her mind to get the lump checked but she was busy. Like most women Pat had a lot going on in her life. The matriarch of the family she was incessant about taking care of everyone, she had a small business on the side, and lots of friends and hobbies that brought her great joy. That lump- it was there but sadly it never made it onto that very important to do list.
The Get Your Girl Back movement is about giving women permission to take care of themselves. With work, family, volunteer responsibilities, cooking, cleaning, laundry and everything else you do in a day, that self-care rarely happens. I imagine if Pat could do it all over again, she would put herself on the list. She would have gone to the doctor, done more yoga; stopped smoking sooner, exercised more, taken more walks, found pictures in the clouds…if only she had more time.
There is no guarantee how much time we have on this amazing Earth. Whatever you intend to do, do it now- don’t wait. It’s not a coincidence that people who have near death experiences completely transform their lives; it’s a wakeup call and in some rare cases, people are given second chances. My advice to you is to live. Choose to live now, while you can, before it’s too late and your dreams are only wishes that can no longer come true. People need you and if you’re not here, you can’t help them.
So laugh more…I mean a deep, laugh til you cry belly laugh. Dance more, play more, cry more, sing more, take more risk, say what you need to say, write more letters, hold your husband’s had, kiss your children at every opportunity, feel the grass on your feet, play tickle monster, build tents in the living room, and live. Take a moment and think about what you are not doing that you will commit to start doing today. Post it as a comment here on my blog or on my FB page where others can see so you own it! Something happens that is very real when you write things down, particularly for others to see. I read every post and always respond so say it out loud and then do it!
Written by Traci Bild, Author & Founder of the Get Your Girl Back movement
*Picture is of my husband David and my mother-in-law Pat, who I write this in tribute to and honor as we all learn the importance of putting ourselves on the list, through her loss.
You can learn more about the Get Your Girl Back movement at www.GYGB.com