Take One for the Team

I have a Pinterest Board entitled “Inspirations and Funnies” I collect sayings and quotes that speak to me. Some are displayed on my chalk boards around my house. They often inspire a blog topic like this one:

“Without the rain there would be no rainbow.”

Years ago Jodie Foster played a struggling mom in a movie. Her friend said, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”

Foster’s character’s response: “This isn’t lemons. This is dog shit.”

This is how I feel about cancer. It killed both of my parents. It disrupted my brother’s life before he turned 50. Cancer took many other relatives and friends. In recent years, it almost jeopardized my weekend getaways with my “sisters.”

I’ve seen sayings like, “cancer sucks.”

I just saw one that read, “Do not keep calm and carry on…bitch slap cancer.”  I thought that one was funny.

Without cancer there would be no….what?

When life gives you cancer, make….what?

There is no lemonade. There is no rainbow.

When cancer happens, people  desperately need a diversion. It’s the taking control over something we have no control over. Last weekend I hosted a get together. I was going to call it “Crafting for Cancer,” but I figured I would get a much better turn out if I called it “Crafting with Cocktails.” My friend who is being treated for ovarian cancer enlisted me to assume the role of Chief Costume Designer. Team “Z” is made up of over 25 friends who registered to walk in a 5K next weekend. The event is called “Turn the Village Teal,” to raise awareness for ovarian cancer.

I created a few ideas, and with my friends’ input we settled on floral headbands for the women and bowties for the men. I made a sample of each, and last weekend a small group of us got busy assembling the costumes. My friends joked that they were happy to help but not really crafty. I promised a “skill appropriate” task for everyone. Luckily, there was much cutting to do. They all proclaimed to be proficient with scissors.  Aside from them renaming my garage “B’s Sweat Shop” they were good sports about following directions. After hours of cutting out circles of tule, lace & chiffon, I instructed them in how to assemble the flowers. One friend said, “Wait, we are MAKING those flowers?” Hours later the sarcasm started. “I hate Brenda….I hate teal…..I hate these flowers.” I promised them it would be worth it and our design would get us on television.

As usual, when this group convenes, we laugh, eat, drink and make good memories. I knew I went a little overboard on the design. It was a little ambitious for the skill level of the crafters. I thanked them and told them we were in good shape. I could finish the costumes during the week. They insisted on coming back on Sunday. I love those girls! No matter what we are doing and why we are doing it, we have fun.

I like writing because I can think about it, edit and rewrite if I need to. I have a chance to consider if my sarcastic sense of humor will offend anyone. When our team leader “Queen  Z”  humbly asked if her costume could in some way stand out a little from the rest of the team, I accused her of being an attention whore. When she suggested deleting peacock feathers from the design because of cost concerns I said,” Quit making this about you. I want the damn feathers.” When you get a group text from a cancer patient that says not only just “LOL”, but “I’m crying I’m laughing so hard,” you know you have done your job as a friend.

This project of creating matching costumes was a diversion, something to think about other than cancer. When it happens, people don’t always know what to do or say. Suggest anything and people will happily spring into action as our friends did. Queen Z is so loved that her friends are making a mountain out of a mole hill.  A little 5K walk is now a 3 day weekend. Go big or go home. We will probably have a meeting this week to discuss our restaurant choices and activity plans in the area. Ironically, a cancer walk has become another reason for a weekend getaway, laughing and making memories.  I have never attended one of these events. If we get there and the costume competition is stiff, the men in our group will be taking one for the team. I promised Queen Z that we would be making a television appearance. My last minute plan is for the guys to streak in the 5K wearing nothing but a teal colored bowtie.  So, if you are a Metro Detroiter, tune into the local news Saturday morning, just in case.