Do you remember the Jar of Motivation? It was a bunch of pictures of YOU showing the amazing (BEYOND amazing) things you’ve done over the past year in your fitness. (Here, I’ll remind you. You can check it out here or just watch the one below.)
Well, it’s time for another Jar!
This one’s called the Jar of Strength. (edited to note: I had originally called it the jar of “hope” but I realized after I wrote this, that “hope” didn’t cover enough of what I saw in people. What I really see in them is actually STRENGTH. And their strength is inspiring.)
Sometimes people’s jars are empty. And they need filling. We did it once for motivation. We do it now for strength.
That’s what this is about. Filling it with strength. From you.
Just as fitness is near and dear to my heart, you might know now that so is the cansuh. Not the actual cansuh, that can go suck it. But the people who are fighting it or have fought it. THEY are near and dear to my heart. For the first time ever in my life, I know now how scary it is. Even though my battle was short, I understand the moment when you hear that word and your family’s entire life flashes before you in the form of graduation and wedding photos and all of a sudden you’re not in them. All these terrible thoughts go through your mind. All the things you thought you’d do that you now think you won’t.
It’s terrifying and dark and sometimes you can’t breathe.
Life can change in an instant. And you will forever watch your back.
The thing is, great things are born out of the cansuh. Just as someone trains hard for an event and crosses the finish line while battling their inner demons along the way, so shows us what we’re made of when dealing with the cansuh. Similar demons only you’re fighting this time for your life.
If you’re wondering why I spell it wrong, by the way, it’s on purpose.
I never wanted to call it what it was. My mom and I poke fun of it as an immature way of stealing the power it tries to have over us and so there. Someone else I know called her cansuh “Keith Richards.” That’s pretty funny. Poor Keith Richards.
Anyway, here is the purpose of this video.
To inspire.
To inspire the fighters.
To inspire the fight.
To show the faces that look so healthy on the outside but are in the fight of their life on the inside.
To fill the jar of hope for you to draw from, whenever you don’t think you can do it.
I know we all know someone with the cansuh. It could even be you.
The cansuh fascinates me because we pass hundreds if not thousands of people every day. How many of those people you just passed have the cansuh? Or just lost someone from it? Or are on their way to go find out they have it? The cansuh discriminates against no one. We just don’t know.
In the past few weeks I’ve felt a fear that makes public speaking, spiders and open water swimming look silly to me. These things are now laughable and I can’t believe I was even afraid of them. I don’t know if every cansuh fighter feels this way but I do. I found strength in fear.
I admire those who fought before me and who are still fighting now, with dignity, with strength, courage and with an iron will. I want to honor their strength.
Give others strength.
Here’s what I’m asking from you:
- Send me a picture. Go now to your inbox or your hard drive and send me a picture of someone you know who has fought or is fighting The Cansuh. Of you or someone you know with the cansuh for the video. Your very favorite photo. It can be any picture you want, perhaps it was when you were recovering afterward, perhaps you’re with your favorite person in the world, perhaps it’s in your favorite place or you after surgery or during treatment, or a picture when you felt your strongest or happiest, a picture of you as the fighter you know you are in any form, send it to me. Just know that whatever photo you send will inspire someone to fight on. Send it to christieo at averagemomswearcapes.com.
- (Optional) Instead of a photo, send me a 5-10 second video of YOU filling in the blank of this sentence: “Hi I’m _____. Cansuh (INSERT WHAT IT DID), but it didn’t (insert what you’re proud of here)! ” (For instance, this is mine: I’m Christie O! Cansuh took my fertility but it didn’t take ME!) Short and sweet. No longer than 10 seconds please or it will probably get cut off.
- The name of the person in the photo and how you want the name to look in the video. Whether you want your first name, first and last if you want, first name last initial, whatever you want.
- The person’s blog or website or if they have a caring bridge site or anything like that.
- What kind of cancer is it?
- Are you or they a survivor? A fighter? Were they lost to cancer and if so, when? We want to remember them and honor them as the fighter they were.
- The deadline to send a picture is Friday July 6th.
(Ps. Sure we all know what “eff” means and I am known to have a potty mouth but in this case I’ll be nicer and use “eff” instead of the word I’d really like to use.)
Will you join the fight to inspire others?
Fill the jar of strength.
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love this idea!!
OK, I’m sending in my husband. He beat the cansuh almost 8 years ago – this year he’s doing his first Half Ironman. He refuses to call himself a survivor, but he fought it, and he beat it. And I know that makes him one.
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Love this idea! I’m a two-timer, both before the age of 41. First one stole my fertility, too . . . but I got lucky and have a wonderful daughter through adoption. Second one took my boobs. But it hasn’t taken my sense of humor or my zest for life!
I love that you’re doing this! I have emailed my husband’s picture & information!
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