I want to take a moment to just offer some words of encouragement to those of you who carry us through this season called breast cancer. I know there will be times of wanting to say something and not knowing what to say.  I can tell you, that the most encouraging thing you can say, is " I love you! And I am here to be your support during this time."  There are going to me moments of unexplained crying and laughter.  Go with it, for us.  Hold us when we cry and feel frustrated and confused.  Laugh at our moments of joy with us. Shower us with words of encouragement no matter how strong we may seem.  Our "encouragement tank" needs to stay full, if not always a little overflowing. Because there are going to be times where we will get quiet and need some time alone. Check on us to make sure we don't stay quiet too long, but just understand we are trying to process this part of our life's journey.  

     When I first found out about my breast cancer, I had friends come out from many places to tell me they loved me and were praying for me. You don't have to be best friends with a woman who has breast cancer to offer her words of encouragement.  In fact, I will tell you that some of my greatest words of encouragement came from people I really didn't know all that well and strangers I met.  Now that is not to take away from my dear friends who showered me with gifts, flowers and cards, I am just saying that if you are not close to that woman or she is a stranger, encourage her.  Tell her how beautiful and strong she is!  We all need words of affirmation and women going through breast cancer really need those words of encouragement and affirmation. 

    Ways to encourage:

• Buy flowers and take them to her, if you are able.  If not, call the local florist and have them delivered after she gets home from the hospital.  It is nice to wake up to some in the hospital, but it is also nice to get some after you are home and are recovering.
• Send a fruit basket. We have to eat something when we take those pain meds, but we aren't really that hungry.  Fruit, crackers and cheese are great things for those med times. **Please check with your Warrior about any food allergies she may have**
• Send cards!! This is an easy one.  Send funny ones and loving ones.  Please do not send depressing ones!! And don't just send one card.  She is going to need encouragement for at LEAST the first year.  So set a reminder and let her know you love her and are thinking about her.
• Call her.  I don't think we call others often enough, thanks to text messages and messenger apps.  If she is able to talk, I promise she will answer the phone.
• Send gifts!!! Every woman loves a gift.  Send things like bath bombs, t-shirts with fun sayings on them, anything pink! A hat is a good thing, since washing our hair for the first few weeks is difficult.  We need to hide that mop! Also, movies and books to watch and read while she is recovering.
• Offer to come over and brush her hair and fix it for her. One of my sweet friends came to the hospital to bring me Thanksgiving dinner and brushed and braided my hair for me. It was so nice to have that love shone to me just after surgery.  I am also fortunate enough to have 3 amazing daughters, so I did not lack for stylists during this time.  But I will tell you this, washing our hair is virtually impossible. Leaning over a sink is very uncomfortable and not very easy. So one of my daughters called around town to find a stylist that would wash my hair for me.  She found an amazing woman named Tina who not only washed my hair but did it at no cost.  (She is now my new stylist and I pay her) If you are a hair stylist, I encourage you to offer this service at your salon.  We can only sponge bathe for the first couple of weeks so to have a good hair wash makes us feel like a million bucks! Now Tina blow dried my hair but did not put product in it, so it would stay cleaner, longer. I can't tell you enough how good it felt to have a clean head of hair! I did this 3 times and then I was able to do it myself after two weeks. 
• Make or bring her favorite meal. Even if she has plenty of family around her, it will help take the burden off of them and allow them to catch up on other chores around the house.
• Offer to come clean her house and do laundry.  Some people are funny about these two things, so don't be offended if they say "no".  But at least offer to do it.
• Take her to get her nails done, or come over and do them for her.  We want to feel like a girl and having our nails done is a nice treat!
• Lastly, just love her and tell her!