Sister, Cheerleader, Stranger…A Poem by Wildfire
Sister, Cheerleader, and Stranger
Cross Country, ‘round the world, up the street
You get me, you absolutely get me
You make me feel human, more complete
Pink Lady, Supporter, and Nurse
I don’t have to explain, I can simply cry
You understand me, you let me be me
Without ever having to explain why
Mother, Daughter, Friend
You give me hope, you give me time
You know my truths, my insecurities
You know my favorite wine
Podcaster, Blogger, Writer
You talk about my hope and fear
You know too well about scanxiety
And prayers for margins in the clear
Is the cancer back?
What are these aches and pain?
How will life ever be normal?
You get it all, you keep me sane!
Take my hand, friend
For comfort in the dark days
I may not have all the right words
But I want to thank you always
Tina Conrad. Merchandise manager at Vera Bradley, podcast host. Diagnosed at 37. IDC, Stage III, ER+. Tina is a five-year breast cancer survivor. She is the host of the DJ Breast Cancer podcast, which is a “girlfriend’s guide” to breast cancer. Season One focuses on her breast cancer journey and is available on iTunes and Spotify. Season Two is focused on other survivor journeys and those making a difference in cancer. Tina’s mom is also a two-time breast cancer survivor. Tina is married to an amazing person, Jon. Together they love taking walks, Sunday car rides, and visiting local breweries. The one bright spot of breast cancer has been the sisterhood and support through local support groups and the Instagram breast cancer community. @djbreastcancer djbreastcancer.org
This piece has been republished with permission from WILDFIRE Magazine, the 2019/2020 “SOCIAL” issue (Vol 4, No 6, Copyright (c) December 2019 by Wildfire Community LLC). More information available at wildfirecommunity.org
Every month, Rethink will be sharing powerful stories and poetry from WILDFIRE Magazine. Use code RETHINK for 10% off anything in the WILDFIRE Shop.
WILDFIRE Magazine is the only magazine for young women survivors and fighters of breast cancer under 45 years old. Headquartered in Santa Cruz, California, WILDFIRE is a beautiful, story-based bi-monthly magazine published on different themes relevant to young women survivors, from stage 0 to stage IV. Beautiful and ad-free! Visit wildfirecommunity.org for more info.
