Breast cancer inspires book of uplifting quotes
February 7th 2008 20:15
A wonderful friend of mine who lost his nine year old son many years ago, once said to me, ‘There are worse things in life than losing a child… like having your child brain-damaged in an accident and suffer endlessly…’
Now despite what I may think about losing a child, it was simply impossible to ignore my friend’s assertion. The power and wisdom in the words of ordinary people who have suffered extraordinary circumstances are not easy to disregard. Just as it’s sensible (not to mention respectful) not to judge someone til we’ve walked a day in their shoes, it is equally illuminating and inspiring to be still in the face of a survivor’s testimony. Viktor Frankl’s insights in Man’s Search for Meaning wield a certain clout given his status as a Holocaust survivor.
I am a great lover of a good book of quotes. All those famous people with all their scintillating insights and pithy comments. It matters to me what Mother Theresa said about love, having been such a loving person n’ all. Or what Nelson Mandela says about freedom, given his 27 years behind bars. And all those great thinkers, with their great thoughts, making us pause for a moment to consider the terrific inanity of most of our daily musings when laid side by side with little throwaways such as, ‘I think, therefore I am.’
It seems an obvious point that a book of quotes is only as meaningful as the credibility of those quoted. But the voices of ordinary people have that extra ring of clarity for me, un-inflated by the helium of celebrity-status and ego-fuelled self-importance.
In 2006 I had the opportunity to work on a book of inspirational quotes by people whose lives have been affected by breast cancer, for the three national breast cancer organizations of Australia. The result was a gorgeous little gem of a book called A pocketful of sequins, published by Moonstone Media and illustrated by artist Julianne Lord. Most of the proceeds of the sale of the book go towards breast cancer research (thanks to the generosity of Macquarie Bank).
Now of course, I am biased. I personally interviewed or had email contact with all the contributors to get the quotes distilled down to a couple of words and without fail, I bloody love all those women, men and the two children whose voices appear in the book. Not that finding contributors was easy. I began with a couple of face-to-face interviews, which were very time-consuming (and exhausting - I always cried….) After a month, I had 8 great quotes - but we needed around 100 to fill the book. But thanks to email technology and Breast Cancer Network Australia’s membership, in response to a series of key questions, the floodgates opened. I received pages and pages of the most wonderful responses from women all over Australia who had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
I met courageous mothers, and inspiring grandmothers and brave men who have lost their wives to the disease. I met a thirteen year old girl who lost her mother to breast cancer when she was seven and a boy of ten who lost his mother when he was just three. I interviewed a breast cancer oncologist. Crikey. At the end of the hour with him, I needed a stiff whiskey. As I left he said to me, ‘I feel so much better having spoken to you.’ I am quite sure it was one of the first times he’d ever been asked about how it was for him to deal with breast cancer patients all day long.
During the course of collecting the quotes, I lost count of the times contributors thanked me for the opportunity to think and write about how they felt, and how having breast cancer changed their lives. And it struck me that this process allowed people to feel that their individual experience mattered.
Now you’re probably thinking ‘who wants to read a book about breast cancer? What a pick me up… (not)’ But – and this is the part I love - the book is a complete pick-me-up with the most gorgeous illustrations on every page. The book is a compendium of the everyday courage, humour, sense of fun, sense of fashion and joy of people living with breast cancer. It is in fact a celebration of life.
Here are some of my favourite quotes from the book:
‘When you get bad news, it is not the end of the world. You can make anything into a beginning.’ Lillian, 70
‘Beauty is… a friend’s hair growing back.’ Jan, 50
‘I don’t know what I’d say if I had a chance to say something to my mum. I guess that if her spirit is here, then she already knows.’ Mark, 10
‘Put your past in a filing cabinet. Take it out every so often and have a look at it. But leave it in the filing cabinet. It is too heavy to lug around day by day.’ Di, 59
‘Suffering is inevitable, misery is optional.’ Judith, 49
‘Someone asked me ‘did you have all your nymph glands removed?’ ‘That’s LYMPH glands,’ I said. They can take my breasts, but they will never take my libido!’ Karen, 42
These books make for the most stunning gifts, if you’re stumped for ideas.
Take a look at www.pocketfulofsequins.com.au
www.joannefedler.com
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Comment by JP Shaw
Sassy Ink Author
Parent Writer
Put your past in a filing cabinet. Take it out every so often and have a look at it. But leave it in the filing cabinet. It is too heavy to lug around day by day.’ Di, 59
How true to know it's hard enough to get through each day without a knapsack filled with crap you don't need.
Comment by Kit
Comment by Joanne Fedler
Secret Writers Business
This book is unfortunately only available through NBCF - if you click on www.pocketfulofsequins.com you will find a place where you can order the book. It is such a gorgeous gift, and I've given so many away - and people ALWAYS come back to me asking where they can get some to give away as gifts to their friends. I hope you manage to get hold of a copy. It's worth the effort. It used to be sold at David Jones, but they've withdrawn it from there.
Thanks so much for visiting my site - isn't JP Shaw (Sassy Ink Author) just divine? I adore her.
Jo
Comment by Joanne Fedler
Secret Writers Business
Jo