Have Faith...Don't Give Up

I feel so much better than I did when I made my last post.  I get frustrated with people who just dont want to hear the truth about melanoma and skin cancer.  Not to get all political, but I once heard a politician characterize the other party in a way that I think can also apply to the tan vs natural argument.  He said that the other sides views were unfounded, so they would first attack the sources and then the person making the statement.  The tanning industry will first attack the victims, then the foundations and then say they are all in the sunscreen industries pocket.  Skin cancer is just made up because the sunscreen industry wants you to buy their product.  What?  Tell that to my arm, abdomen, neck, thigh, forearm, calf, those scars and divots are there because the sunscreen industry wants to make money?  Tell that to the people who are fighting this disease.. Tell that to the families of those who lost their lives because of the beast..  Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?

Enough of that, that isn't why I am posting today.  Other than saying that I am in a much better mindset, I wanted to share that I got some encouragement this week from an unexpected source.

So on Sunday I was working in the church nursery, and I was talking to my friend about what had happened, and as I said that I paid the price for a tan, one of the ushers walked in.  He asked if I had had a basal cell carcinoma or something and I said no, I had melanoma.  He said "oh yeah, I remember that now, you helped at the youth conference right after that"  Yes.  Then he goes on to tell me how one of his best friends and mentors had died of melanoma, from a mole that he put off getting checked and he knows it is nothing to play with.  He said he learned a lot about God and faith from this person, especially in how they fought their battle.  When I told him my story of how my mole was watched and then I put off getting it rechecked, he agreed that I was so blessed to have still gotten it removed in the early stages.  I told him that I had been taking steps to get the word out about the dangers of melanoma and skin cancer, and also for sun safety, but that I had no support from my immediate family in doing so.  He said, "have faith, they will come around.  Don't give up"  That was something I really needed to hear at that time.

I'm not giving up.  An opportunity has landed in my lap.  I will explain more about that towards the end of the month, but I get to take three of my passions, God, healthy living, and skin cancer awareness through my story, and share them all.  I'm not giving up.  I'm not going to be discouraged.  My family will come around.