I rarely work on Saturdays , which is fine with me, but last Saturday was an exception. Last Saturday was the Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks (BCFO) “A Time To Share” event. This annual event is a celebration honoring women who have had or have been affected by breast cancer. The store I work for, The Harem, is involved in coordinating the fashion show for the event and has done so since the event began ten years ago.
Each year, breast cancer survivors model fashions from area stores. We usually have six stores with four to six models per store modeling which means a lot of coordinating and organizing for everyone at The Harem. It’s a time-consuming event, but so rewarding! I worked last Tuesday-Thursday as we held practices at our store after hours. The women involved are amazing and I love hearing their stories. There’s Jan, who used humor and silly hats to get through chemo; Debra, who is helping her sister deal with the same disease; and Melody, who is a young mother hoping for a long future with her children. These are just a few of the women I was honored to work with and get to know last week. I didn’t meet a single woman with a bad attitude or one who acted like a victim. Sure, they’ve all had bad days, but their positive outlook was inspiring.
What’s shocking about this event is the number of young women who participate each year which is a stern reminder to all of us that anyone can get breast cancer. To the women of the 10th annual BCFO fashion show, I salute you for your courage and strength and I look forward to working with you again next year. Thank you for a great event and for your time!
Pretty Pretty Bang Bang 