Meet Susan Reynolds. Susan was diagnosed with breast cancer. Susan is an ordinary person and never expected to have cancer. Who does?
She discovered something that is true, but kind of sad. When you have something seriously wrong with your body, people become uncomfortable. At a time when you need people to stand with you, comfort you, help you not to feel alone or just giggle with you for Pete's sake, sometimes they are so uncomfortable that they will even avoid you. Simply because it feels awkward not knowing what to say.
Susan came out of surgery and used an icepack to help with the pain. Icepacks can be heavy and uncomfortable, and she discovered that using a bag of frozen peas fit better and felt better. She fell asleep with the comfort of her peas and woke up smelling fresh peas, cooked with her body heat.
When she told people, they laughed. Humor, it gets us all.
Talking about something as goofy as having peas in her bra broke through the awkwardness and has given Susan a way to reach people. I play around in Twitter (more than I should, I’m sure) and nearly everyone I know there is sporting peas. In fact, some people are so creative with their peas that it’s nearly an art gallery of how you can Photoshop peas in there.
And people ask, and conversations start. Peas are silly. Cancer is not. But somehow one makes it easier to talk about the other.
Susan is in surgery RIGHT NOW. I’m sporting peas for her even though I don’t know her. It just feels like the right thing to do, and here I am.
Add your own pea pictures for Susan HERE.
Peas to you and yours.
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