Breast Cancer Awareness Month

This being a month dedicated to raising awareness to an issue that is pretty close to my heart, I have decided to do a short post to remember my mother.

My mom died of breast (and a few other types of) cancer just over two years ago, and not a day goes by where I do not think about what she has done for me and so many others.  She battled an absolutely inspiring battle with cancer, choosing to forgo the typical chemotherapy and radiation route to pursue becoming as healthy as she possibly could, with the mentality that a perfectly healthy body and mind will heal itself of any sickness.  During this journey of hers, she completely changed not only her life, but many lives around her to always choose health and happiness before anything else.  In the end, she died surrounded by her family and friends, and with the knowledge that she truly lived those last years of her life the way she wanted given what she had. 

I miss my mom like crazy.  I miss our conversations, I miss her stubbornness and naivety towards deep, philosophical and religious life views.  I miss her freedom, her simple smile and the easy-going way she walked around the house.  Clearly, I was a mommas boy.

During this month, events are being held, money is being raised, and almost all of it goes to research to help modern medicine find ways to help and cure breast cancer.  This means better medicine, better testing machines and so on.  All I can hope for is that more people can realize that dedicating your life to being healthy and happy will probably do more than any medicine out there.  If some of that money could go to community programs, to food education and stress-reducing, relaxing lifestyles, well shoot man, I am sure things would be better. 

I know my mom would have loved to see more people walking around the woods with a couple family members or friends, laughing and smiling and sharing stories.  Eating good, organic, whole foods, sleeping for hours and reading great books.  Imagine that in contrast to hospitals, pills, billion dollar testing machines, packaged food, alcohol and too much work. 

So instead of just sending in a few buck to support this cause, send in your money, then go get in touch with nature.  Pick a flower, talk to random animals, build a fort, keep your phone and computer and TV off, and share your stories, no matter how "goofy" or "weird" this all might seem.  I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how good you feel when you live like a child for a day.

And go hug your mom if she's still around.

Never Stop, GET FIT.

Josh Courage