October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Actual Dance tells a story of MY journey in response to Susan’s diagnosis of stage 3 breast cancer in 2000
In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month I post a blog each day with a reflection about breast cancer. The reflections all stem from something in the play.
Day 25 Susan’s Birthday. “Susan. Susan Meryl Kalmans. That is her maiden name. I can remember the first time I ever even noticed Susan. … We were just 16 years old.” The Actual Dance
So I have known Susan 55 years! As it turns out Susan was 55 years old during her first year of treatment. The Actual Dance is about events that happened during her 55th year. It was a year when the future was uncertain. Indeed, I did not believe she would survive. Susan’s Mother had died at the age of 56 from metastasized breast cancer; and my mother had died at the age of 66 from metastasized breast cancer. “I know how this story is going to end, there is not going to be a good out come here.” is another line from the show.
Susan today, October 25th, 2017, on her 71st birthday, will get up and go to the gym. She exercises six days a week. This past year she has been working with me on our mutual “weight” and she has lost enough weight to be as thin as she was 50 years ago when we got married
Have I told you that we had our Golden Anniversary this year?! Check out the poem and the song and like our Golden Anniversary page on Facebook.
Much of my life is now spent telling the story of her 55th year. And on her birthday – this 71st I am so thankful that she is still alive and well and we are living out a full life. We will be getting up, walking 3 miles and looking to do something on this day that we have never done before – our new game in life. Find things to do we have never done before.
Stat of the Day: Susan was born on 25th October 1945. Her age is Seventy-one years. 25933 days passed since the day of her birth (or 3704.7 weeks). In the world 298000 babies was born on that day.
Task of the Day: Wish Susan Happy Birthday by making a donation to her next Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Boston in June of 2017. This will be her 15th Avon Walk. She will have walked 588 miles when she completes this walk. Click here to donate!
Resource of the Day: Everything you ever wanted to know about your birthday: here and here and here
The Actual Dance: Performances. Donate.