To You, Long Live, Brave And Triumphant

I don’t want to be another letter of support for you. I do not pretend to tell you everything that is said and that does not work. I really want to help you. I want each word to awaken something in you that makes you reflect and convinces you that breast cancer is not fair, but that, without a doubt, you are capable of facing it, facing it and overcoming it. Because we know how you are, we know that above all you are a living, brave and successful woman.

Do you remember the day your body betrayed you? Yes, I know it feels like a betrayal, because you don’t know why it does it, why breast cancer appears whose only function is to scare, destroy and break a body, a life. Your life changes suddenly. Suddenly you see yourself fighting an unsought war, with weapons that you do not know and without knowing when or how peace will be signed.

It’s hard. It is a path that nobody wants to travel . And it was your turn. How is that assumed? It is breast cancer, thousands of women and men suffer from it, but thousands do not. There are days when you wonder if it is worth so much effort, if you will be able to achieve it, if it is not better to let everything flow …

I want to tell you what you are

I do not want you to have to face a fight, and that you believe that you have to draw strength from where there is none to achieve it. I want to tell you that everything you need is in you, and that the rest of us are here to remind you.

You are brave. Yes of course. To be brave is to lose yourself on the way, it is to meet your worst fear and know that it is part of you, and, therefore, that you can overcome it. You have suffered a blow from within but you are here . Your body and you can face and face that blow.

You are strong. You think not, you think your body is fragile and weakened by medication, and it’s true. But you have a lot of power within you. You know that every bad time spent is a small victory. You deserve to recognize it.

You are able. Of everything. Adversities are there, they exist, but nothing happens because you have to take your time to face them. It is a breast cancer. Is something important. But it doesn’t define you, and you know it’s going to be part of your story, but not your story completely.

I want to tell you what you have

You know we are here for you . You know our names and why we love you so much. We have many things for you that we want to give you selflessly:

• Support . We are many, many, those of us who want to shake your hand and accompany you on this scary path. We are capable of doing it too, so trust us.
• Shelter . We want to hug you when you need comfort. You have the right to see everything black and have to cry sometimes. But we are within our right to comfort you. We are your little confessional, use it. You need an emotional refuge and we know how to build it.

• Tool . We are sword and shield. We are magic potion and armor. We know we can’t get through it for you, but at least we can get through it with you.
• Army . There are thousands of people who face and face breast cancer. We do not want you to go ahead, we want to surround you like the army that protects its captain. 
• Memory . You are not breast cancer. No. You are a mother, father, doctor, economist, brother, daughter. And you also like scary movies and family meals on Sunday. We want to remind you that everything you were, you still are. Breast cancer does not define you, and we are here not to allow it.

I want to tell you what breast cancer has not taken away from you

You are no less a man or a woman . To be a man or a woman, you don’t just need a body. You need more. It does not matter if you are a man or a woman, breast cancer does not understand genders.

It has not taken away your beauty . It is a body that has to face an attack from within. Your body has changed and it may not be the same as before, but be clear that whoever does not see the beauty that lasts in you is the one who has a problem.

It has not taken away your smile . In every moment of your life something can make you smile. Seize it. The little things next to you may surprise you. Many times it is the details that make us smile without us thinking about it.

Come back to look for us whenever you need us to remind you how brave you are and everything you have, we will help you remember that it is much more than what you have lost.