October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This is a month to honor survivors, lift up those struggling, and remember the loved ones we have lost from this disease. Gardenuity is helping to spread awareness and giving back to an organization that is making an impact globally, Susan G Komen with the Pink Breast Cancer Desktop Garden. We want you to know that we are with you on your journey, support you, and are hoping to spread the nurturing powers of nature with you through your garden.
We hope that the Pink Desktop Garden can be a reminder of calm, mindful moments, and the power of nature.
Why is Pink the Color of Breast Cancer Month?
Pink is the color of Breast Cancer Month that is widely recognized across language and cultural barriers. More notably, the pink ribbon is seen as a symbol of activism, support, and awareness. Using ribbons as symbols of support gained momentum during the Gulf War, with people adorning their clothes and homes with yellow ribbons. This trend spread to the AIDS movement with red ribbons, and now is spread across a large number of challenges, including cancer and diseases.
The pink that we all know today, actually had its roots as a light peach color. Charlotte Haley, a breast cancer survivor, and activist, wanted to increase federal funding for cancer prevention and research, as it was minimal to non-existent. Thus, Haley sent thousands of light peach ribbons with an informational card to gain momentum. She succeeded.
The Susan G. Komen foundation adopted the use of pink ribbons during their Race for the Cure events. It caught on once more through a collaboration between Estee Lauder and Self Magazine – the group handed out millions of pink ribbons and used an additional couple hundred thousand as a message to the federal government to invest more in cancer prevention.
Pink is associated with femininity, which is one of the reasons it was chosen. However, it also represents health and playfulness. Margaret Welch, the Director of the Color Association of the United States, has also found the color pink to be stress relieving, calming, and life-affirming.
Finding Moments of Mindfulness During Challenges
Small moments of calm and mindfulness can be huge during a challenging season of life. Mindfulness does not push emotions away. Instead, mindfulness can allow you to acknowledge and feel whatever emotion arises, while giving you the power over the emotion so that it will not overwhelm you and overtake your life.
Using the tool of mindfulness can allow you to act like an observer of your own situation, in a sense. You can look at what you feel, feel compassion and empathy for whatever situation is challenging, and for yourself, yet understanding that the emotion will not last forever and that the challenge will eventually pass as well.
Mindfulness also reminds you to step out of yourself and reach out to loved ones and communities who can walk you through the challenging time and be there for you as a pillar of support.
Think about using nature and gardening to create mindfulness and spread compassion during challenging seasons.
Remember to make your mammogram appointment and remind your best friends to do the same.