A handsome, middle-aged man walked quietly into the cafe and sat down. Before he ordered, he couldn't help but notice a group of younger men at the table next to him. It was obvious they were making fun of something about him, and it wasn't until he remembered he was wearing a small pink ribbon on the lapel of his suit that he became aware of what the joke was all about.
The man brushed off the reaction as ignorance, but the smirks began to get to him. He looked one of the rude men square in the eye, placed his hand beneath the ribbon and asked, quizzically, "This?" With that the men all began to laugh out loud.
The man he addressed said, as he fought back laughter, "Hey, sorry man,
but we were just commenting on how pretty your pink ribbon looks against your
blue jacket!"
The middle aged man calmly motioned for the joker to come over to his
table, and invited him to sit down. As uncomfortable as he was, the guy
obliged, not really sure why. In a soft voice, the middle aged man said,
"I wear this ribbon to bring awareness about breast cancer. I wear it in my
mother's honor."
Oh, sorry dude. She died of breast cancer?"
"No, she didn't. She's alive and well. But her breasts nourished me as an
infant, and were a soft resting place for my head when I was scared or
lonely as a little boy. I'm very grateful for my mother's breasts, and her
health."
"Umm," the stranger replied, "Yeah."
"And I wear this ribbon to honor my wife", the middle aged man went on.
"And she's okay, too?", the other guy asked.
"Oh, yes. She's fine. Her breasts have been a great source of loving
pleasure for both of us, and with them she nurtured and nourished our
beautiful daughter 23 years ago. I am grateful for my wife's breasts, and
for her health."
"Uh huh. And I guess you wear it to honor your daughter, also?"
"No. It's too late to honor my daughter by wearing it now. My daughter
died of breast cancer one month ago. She thought she was too young to have
breast cancer, so when she accidentally noticed a small lump, she ignored
it. She thought that since it wasn't painful, it must not be anything to
worry about."
Shaken and ashamed, the now sober stranger said, "Oh, man, I'm so sorry
mister."
"So, in my daughter's memory, too, I proudly wear this little ribbon,
which allows me the opportunity to enlighten others. Now, go home and talk to
your wife and your daughters, your mother and your friends."
"And here," the middle-aged man reached in his pocket and handed the other
man a little pink ribbon.
The guy looked at it, slowly raised his head and asked, "Can ya help me
put it on?"
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Man, that was quite a story. I have been working with childhood cancer for over 10 years. I could sit here and write about all of the experiences that I have had with the children and the families. Thanks alot for sharing that. I appreciate it.