Write Your Awareness Story

A picture of me honoring my mother.
She lost her hair as a result of chemotherapy - one of her treatments for breast cancer. 

Hello Scribes,

Did you know that in the month of October there are at least twenty causes and national initiatives that are elevated for public awareness? There are so many initiatives in October that I wish each of them had their own month so I could learn about all of them. I wanted to elevate a few awareness campaigns that have a personal connection for me. As you will see below, this became a way for me to share thoughts on self-care and reflect. I encourage you to do some research on October awareness and raise your voice on it. Write about some of the awareness campaigns and how they have effected you personally. It will help you #InscribeMe. 

• Breast Cancer Awareness - My mother, Marilyn J. Pitts Horton was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014. We called her a warrior and a pink panther as we watched her stand tall during chemotherapy, radiation and surgeries that changed her physically. Mommy had an aggressive form of the disease that traveled through her body and eventually into the fluid around her brain. Even though her breasts were not large, mommy conducted regular self-breast exams. She told me about the day she knew she had a lump, "I woke up from a dream holding my left breast at the exact spot where the lump was located." 

Practice self-care by getting regular mammograms and checking yourself for lumps monthly. 

• Pastoral Care Week - I have been fortunate to have pastors in my life who not only taught self-care strategies, but practice it for themselves by working out, taking vacations and going to bed at a decent hour. I have read articles about pastors who battle with depression and some have even committed suicide. Because my husband is in the ministry, I have seen the physical and spiritual burden carried by those who are servants to God's people with a pure heart. 

Encourage your Pastor or spiritual leader to practice self-care by letting them know that you are praying for them. Then, find ways to help in your ministry so the burden is lifted for them. 

• Healthy Lungs Month - When I lived in Colorado and worked at Eagle Rock School, I learned about organic foods, consistent exercise and how processed foods effect our bodies. I started not being able to run more than a few steps but a student named Shandi taught me to close my mouth and breathe through my nose. "You believe in God, lift your head and look at the beauty of God's creation." Although I am not an avid runner anymore, my favorite time in prayer was when I was forcing air into my lungs and pushing myself to go farther. 

Practice self care by doing some form of exercise every day. 

• SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) Awareness  - I lost my brother William Christopher Horton, III to SIDS when I was five. We slept in the same room and I remember touching his hands in his crib the night before he died. There were no blankets in the bed with him or toys, he just died. Mommy told me, "When you lose a child there is no greater pain."

Practice baby care by laying them on their backs to sleep with no blankets, toys or big pillows nearby.

• National Domestic Violence Awareness Month -  There is a statistic on Huffington Post that says every minute a twenty people are effected by domestic violence. The data that explains domestic violence are alarming and disturbing. I have been surprised to hear stories of women, men and children close to me who have experienced intimate partner and intimate family violence. Intimate partner violence is a silent epidemic that touches all backgrounds. My friend Kia has taught me what it means to be an advocate for survivors of intimate partner violence. Read her story here.

Self-love is self-care.

This is just a small sample of how October Awareness has become a thread for me. Write your awareness story and I would love to read it. Share your writing with me info@inscribedinspiration.com or on Twitter @ScribeCoach.

Writing through it,