[Becky]

Well, I made it through and once I got going I was fine. I hate to say it but I knew I did a good job. I did not write a speech because then you read but I had points to make written down so that I stayed on track. It kinda went like this..

I told them I didn't want to do a speech on my story because my story really isn't more important than anyone else's whether you've had cancer or not. I told them that being a survivor has to do with being alive and if you're alive, you can live your life and impact others. And all that, and looking death in the eye makes you look at things differently. You realize that life learning is really backwards from how you learn in school. In school the teacher teaches a lesson and then you have lots of hard work - homework, studying, projects and tests but real life is alot of hard work and then you learn the lessons. So I shared the lessons that I learned. (I said more than I will write below)

1. Be who you are. You are perfect. No one is a more perfect you than you . It won't always be easy and it won't be without conflict...

2. Listen - you have 2 ears and 1 mouth and you should use them in that proportion. No one ever learned anything by talking but by hearing and seeing. There will be things you hear that you don't agree with, maybe not agree with now or ever but one day you might....

3. Embrace Change - you can still be happy even if things are different. Different broadens your horizons and your skills. You will become a better you

4. Bad things will happen but you can always think of something worse. You can't win the rodeo without a bunch of scrapes and bruises but you have to get back up on the horse. Some days it will be a slow loping horse and other days a bucking bronco but chances are, it will never be a raging bull..

5. Sometimes you still have to say yes when you mean no. All self help articles tell you the contrary but if you must, you have to take your Grandma grocery shopping once a week or to the doctor. It makes you a responsible person. Responsible people do these things. No one wants to change a poopy diaper but we do it....

6. Make time - we have all heard the old adage of a person on their deathbed looking up at their loved ones and they never say " I should have spent more time at the office". So make time to be with the people you love. Time is a precious commodity and it goes by quickly in our busy lives so spend it wisely with family and good friends. Also, do not forget to give alittle time to yourself. You can't take care of others without caring for yourself. You also need to make some time for your community (and this was my conclusion - that these people were doing that by doing the Relay for Life etc)

It went very well and I was very happy with it. I lost my nervousness almost immediately and the whole thing flowed. I just had a piece of paper that said the "cue" words. I knew what I would say.

I should have told you all earlier!!!