Pink

I am grateful for pink and everything it means to me.

I've said this many times before, and think it every day and always will - Amelie is my little bundle of pink - a dream personified.

Since becoming a mother to a little girl, I find myself surrounded in a house of pink. And I love it.

This time of year, where ever I find myself, I also find myself surrounded in pink - and I'm grateful for that. Because I'm reminded of the luckiest year of my sister's life and the luckiest year of my and my family's life.

In October, a number of years ago, one of my big sisters found a lump and went to have it checked. It was benign. She told my other sister about it, which prompted her to realise she also had a lump. She went to have it checked.  The lump was benign but the test results concluded that my big sister had the the second most common form of breast cancer - that does not present itself as a lump - invasive lobular carcinoma.

I remember receiving the phone call from my sister. I was at the bank and I rushed back to work and booked the first flight to Canberra to be with her. It meant I could be with her for all her appointments. I listened to every word spoken by the doctors. My sister couldn't take it all in and so when she asked me things, I could tell her what the doctor had said. I saw that as my role when I was there because I otherwise felt helpless.

Once that period of testing and confirming was finished. My sister entered a gruelling period of treatment, which involved radiation, chemotherapy and a mastectomy. When my sister was due for her surgery, I flew her girls, my beautiful nieces, up to visit me for a holiday. My youngest niece had her first wobbly tooth. She was so proud of it and showed it to everyone. Bless. I will always remember that.  

When my sister had finished her treatment, I flew down to visit her and faught back tears when she met me at the airport with no hair. My youngest niece was in a fairy costume and I remember that too. 

Today, this photo is one of my favourites. My sister is the only one of us that has thin, straight hair. In the 80s, she had it permed. After chemo, when her hair grew back, she had big, bouncy, curly hair that was soft and fluffy, like the new hair of a little girl before she's had her first baby locks cut off.

My sister is now healthier than ever. And for that I am grateful. So grateful... I'm crying into my coffee with a big lump in my throat while typing this type of grateful.

And each day I take so much pleasure watching this beautiful vision of pink, who thankfully does not yet have a clue what these over shoulder contraptions are all about. Amelie just sees them as bright and pretty and so they usually find their way into her dress up box.

So grateful.

Linking up with other beautiful notes of grateful with Maxabella Loves.

If at no other time, during October, think pink - like me, you'll find it to be a very lucky colour.