Guest post by Allison Brooks

You are Smart, Beautiful, and Strong:
Being a mom with cancer by Allison Brooks

Having cancer scares women on so many levels; the words “You have cancer”automatically make women feel less confident, less attractive and less powerful than they felt when they woke up that morning. Women worry how to tell their friends and family and whether or not their husbands and boyfriends will still find them attractive throughout the cancer treatment process. They also worry about what is going to happen to their bodies; the fear of losing their hair and looking sick are overpowering for some women.

Unfortunately, women with children of their own have even more to worry about. If a woman is diagnosed with an aggressive cancer, like a late stage breast cancer or mesothelioma, it is sometimes harder to tell their children and treatments can be harsher. But, throughout the cancer treatment process, it is important women feel as confident and good as possible, which is why it is imperative to remember that even though a woman has cancer, she is still a beautiful woman and mom and nothing could ever change that. From this point on, women need to work a little harder to feel confident.

To regain a little of confidence that cancer took from a woman, she needs only to look at her children. These little people that she created and raised are a walking, talking testament to what a wonderful woman and mother she was and still is. To raise beautiful, confident children takes a beautiful, confident mother and that alone should make any women feel more powerful and gorgeous as both a mom and a woman – with no regards to her cancer diagnosis.

While this helps, it may not always be enough, which is why women need other ways of regaining their confidence. One way to do this is to take on a new project; one a woman has always wanted to do but has never had the time or energy to do. Tackling a new project is a great way to give oneself a sense of accomplishment so women should grab a pen and start making a list of all the things they want to accomplish in their lives and make it a point to start marking things off that list today.

For example, a woman that loves classic love stories but has never read Gone with the Wind should do so. A woman that says every year she is going to organize all those photos into beautiful albums to hand out to friends and family at Christmas should. A feeling of accomplishment provides women with a feeling of confidence like nothing else.

Finally, something every woman can do to feel like a beautiful woman and mother in spite of her cancer is to look in the mirror everyday and write down one thing she loves about herself. And to make it more fun and personal, make an “I love you/me because” mirror. Every day should be something different until she finally realizes how much beauty she actually possesses.

Visit Allison Brook's blog

******************************

Allison,
Thanks for sharing this beautiful piece on my blog! I appreciate and admire your passion to help others along their way. :) I agree with you on reading "Gone with the Wind" - every woman needs to slow down and enjoy that one!PS - YOU are beautiful! (always)