Calendar Girl Blog: The Funeral
Funerals always leave me contemplative and in need of pausing.
I attended yesterdays event alone. The small crowd was heavy with sadness. Christina's husband pointed out that on one hand, she would have hated the fuss and attention. On the other, likely been tickled.
Not once during the service was the culprit breast cancer mentioned. And yet, this death was so clearly a breast cancer job. A young, smart, health conscious woman who's only clear risk factor for the disease were her own breasts, was dead. We knew 'who done it.' And yet, our lips were sealed.
Christina was not genetically predisposed to this ugly disease. In fact, few people realize that less than 10% of all breast cancers are genetic in origin.
The uncomfortable cause of the vast majority of breast cancer is environmental factors. Modifiable environmental factors. In that, we...you...me can change the environmental factors that are linked to breast cancer. I'm not referring to 'getting more exercise', even though that is a wise choice. I'm talking about the poison we, you and me, manufacture and/or use in our work places, then dump into the environment, our home, every day.
We're killing each other. We're killing ourselves.
Seems criminal to me.
Calendar Girl watched Christina's two young sons flanking their dad. On the count of three, the three guys each placed a single rose in the grave. The younger of the two stood on the side, and leaned over the hole. The older one looked at the blustery sky. Dad turned and reached for a second flower.
Calendar Girl.
Tags: Calendar Girl Blog, Breast of Canada Calendar, Blog, 2007 Calendar, Sue Richards, breast cancer and prevention, womens breast health,womens health, Christina C. Tyson.
I attended yesterdays event alone. The small crowd was heavy with sadness. Christina's husband pointed out that on one hand, she would have hated the fuss and attention. On the other, likely been tickled.
Not once during the service was the culprit breast cancer mentioned. And yet, this death was so clearly a breast cancer job. A young, smart, health conscious woman who's only clear risk factor for the disease were her own breasts, was dead. We knew 'who done it.' And yet, our lips were sealed.
Christina was not genetically predisposed to this ugly disease. In fact, few people realize that less than 10% of all breast cancers are genetic in origin.
The uncomfortable cause of the vast majority of breast cancer is environmental factors. Modifiable environmental factors. In that, we...you...me can change the environmental factors that are linked to breast cancer. I'm not referring to 'getting more exercise', even though that is a wise choice. I'm talking about the poison we, you and me, manufacture and/or use in our work places, then dump into the environment, our home, every day.
We're killing each other. We're killing ourselves.
Seems criminal to me.
Calendar Girl watched Christina's two young sons flanking their dad. On the count of three, the three guys each placed a single rose in the grave. The younger of the two stood on the side, and leaned over the hole. The older one looked at the blustery sky. Dad turned and reached for a second flower.
Calendar Girl.
Tags: Calendar Girl Blog, Breast of Canada Calendar, Blog, 2007 Calendar, Sue Richards, breast cancer and prevention, womens breast health,womens health, Christina C. Tyson.
posted by Sue Richards at 9:07 PM
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