My mother is a woman and she had cancer.

I was just reading a few of my friend’s status’ on face book, and I noticed a few of them wrote about the wonderful thing they did yesterday. They walked. They didn’t just walk for a stroll, they walked for a purpose. They walked for Cancer.

This is a yearly event in the city. Hundreds of people gather together in 1 place to begin a walk to raise money for cancer research. Cancer. What a horrible word. Half the time I cannot even say it because it gives me the creeps. It is a word nobody ever wants to hear in a doctors’ office, and it is a word no one person ever wants to repeat to another person.

It is said that by the time you reach a certain age in your life, you or someone you know will be diagnosed with the disease. Cancer affected my life when I was 10 years old. I was in Grade 5 and loving life. I just found out the boy I had a crush on, was having a birthday party. I was so excited to go to his party so I ran home to ask for my mother’s permission to attend the party. She was at home frying some peppers. I ran up to her (this is something I will never in my life forget) and I excitedly said, “Ma, Sam is having a party..Can I go?” much to my very surprise she answered me, “No, I’m sorry you can’t.” Shocked! I was shocked. How could she be doing this to me? Everyone was going..How could I be the only 1 not attending the party? She went on to explain to me that she was going to be in the hospital and that my father would not be able to take care of things, including me attending a party at the same time. “How unfair!” is what I shouted and ran out of the room.

I didn’t know it, but at the time, my mother just found out she had Thyroid cancer. She was scheduled to remove the tumour and her thyroid, that same week. She opted not to tell her 4 children, I guess it was her way of protecting us, so we had no idea why she was going in for surgery.

I remember the day I went to visit her in the hospital, it was surreal. I couldn’t look at my mother with tubes in her throat and needles poking in her arms. It is something nobody should ever have to go through or witness. My mother had 4 children who needed her, she was more worried for us, than for herself, not because she was scared of dying, but more because she was scared that we would grow up without a mother.

My sisters understood a little more than me and my younger sister did. Nancy was 17 and Ann-Marie was 13. My father was just in a daze, probably trying to figure out what he was going to do if anything happened to my mother. I can only imagine the stress her sickness put on the entire family. She explains to me now how she felt the moment the doctor said the words no one ever wants to hear, “You have cancer.” Her world changed from that moment on. You feel a sense of invincible just go away; you are now human because the doctor just proved it to you.

My mother is a survivor. She has been 26 years and counting, in remission. It is something she will never forget; it is a part of her history in life. She is thankful every morning when she takes her thyroid pill that she was saved. She is thankful that she was able to experience and witness all the things a mother should see.

This past weekend, I want to commend all the people that walked to help beat Cancer. I want to commend you for your strength, your commitment and your dedication. It is people like you that make this world a better place; it is people like you that helped save my mother and so many other mothers. You walked to help raise money for women’s cancer. My mother is a woman and she had cancer.
That’s my peace today!

This is dedicated to all the women who are fighting the battle, who have lost the battle, and who are winning the battle!


Gnocci
6 potatoes
2 cups or so of flour
1 egg
chopped parsley and basil
a fork

Peel and boil potatoes. Salt the water. remove and mash. Add egg, and a little at a time add the flour. You may have to add a little more or a little less than 2 cups. Once you feel the dough is not too sticky, you have added enough. Add in chopped herbs and knead together. Take about a handful of dough, roll it out into the size of a thick rope, repeat until you are done the dough. With a knife, cut into 2 cent pieces. Put a fork facing down, take a piece of the dough and roll until you make a rolled gnocci. Lay out on a flour surface so it does not stick. Add to boiling water and cook about 20 minutes. (Until no longer doughy). Add whatever sauce you like.