I’m going to start and end this post by saying, count your blessings, folks, seriously… every day!

A few weeks ago I was talking to my mom about sickness all around – my grandma in the hospital (not cancer!) and several women on a Board I’m on who are dealing with cancer. She made a light hearted joke that I need to find some younger friends! Sadly that’s not the problem. I had the good fortune yesterday to run into an old acquaintance whom I hadn’t seen in almost a year. She is my age, the mother of three young children (her oldest is Eve’s age) and my heart dropped when I saw her rockin’ a pink head scarf! She was smiling, but I know the look of shock on my face was apparent. She has breast cancer and is undergoing chemo, radiation, and an upcoming surgery. My stomach is ill just thinking about her situation. I’ve seen her husband a few times in the past year and he always seems so upbeat and positive, the kids seem happy, and the fact that cancer can happen in this family is heartbreaking.

You think you’re safe. You say I don’t drink and drive, I don’t smoke cigarettes (I needed spell check to even spell them!), I wouldn’t stop to help a stranded stranger (gone are the days of the good Samaritan), but breast cancer… there but for the grace of God, go I.

If your four year old is tantruming for no particular reason, your six year old protesting the pool and making you wonder if you just wasted a ton of money on lessons, your kale wilting in the fridge while your belly aches from cookies… count your blessings my friends. I will begin by counting you…