Fighting breast cancer with a dose of humour
Breast cancer is no laughing matter, but sometimes a good joke or a game is the best medicine.
In my quest for limericks, I came across this touching and heart-warming effort of a poetess named Teresa Mondloch, to lighten the burden of pain and surgery (a double mastectomy) of her sister named Carolyn Holzer. Hence sharing. Read and comment.
The sister is nick-named KK and the breasts are code-named as “Tatas”! (Nothing to do with our Tata Group of Industry!).
QUOTE:
A Tale of Two Tatas.
Written by Teresa Mondloch for her sister Carolyn Holzer March 15, 2011
My sister, KK, was diagnosed with breast cancer a few months ago and has already undergone a double mastectomy. (They got all of the cancer!) Prior to her surgery, our other four sisters and I decided to put together a scrapbook as an “Ode to KK’s Tatas.”
I should clarify that KK has always been very proud of her breasts, and a huge promoter of the cleavage top! She would often state, “If they’re looking at my cleavage, then they’re not noticing my big butt!”
So you can understand (as I’m sure many, if not all, of you do) the heartache in having to sacrifice her prized assets to stupid cancer.
The scrapbook consisted of page upon beautiful page of inspirational quotes, favorite stories, funny quips, and most of all pictures of KK in cleavage tops from all the women (and some men) in her life. She has a huge support system.
For my page, I decided to write a limerick, because if I can’t fix the problem then I’d rather make her laugh! You could say I was a little more than inspired….
There once was a girl from Mid West
Who had spectacular breasts
Let the story be told
Of the glory that they hold
Sit back while we tell you the rest.
At puberty they started to grow
Jealous bitches would call her a hoe
But the girl stood strong
For she knew they were wrong
Because all the boys in her school were like, “Whoa!”
She soon realized the power
That her Tatas had endowed her
With a cleavage top
She could make jaws drop
And grown men quiver and cower.
This power was one she could use
Whether on land or even a cruise
With only a wink
She could get a free drink
An offers she couldn’t refuse.
These God-given cans were too much
For any one woman to clutch
Like tits forged in Heaven
They were a ten….nay….eleven
And this power became more like a crutch.
So alas the good Fates had to part
This power that grew from the start
But little did they expect
That this woman was already perfect
For her Tatas were NEVER her heart.
Sadly now she must bid them adieu
But this is no reason to feel blue
For when she awakes
She will have new fakes
And this tale may start anew.
UNQUOTE
COMMENTS from Padmaja Iyengar
The ability to laugh, especially at oneself in times of extreme adversity, is indeed very laudable. My heart goes out to KK…High prevalence of breast cancer among women is a sad but grim reality… In India, the status of women being what it is and the hesitation to express the issue and the nlack of immediate attention (I speak here of the innumerable illiterate, poor, rural women) the cancer is often detected at the last stage, by which time it is too late…The good news is if detected early, cure is available…Thanks for sharing, Jitooji.
Paddy
20th May 2014
MY REPLY TO PADDY’S COMMENTS:
Thanks for your valuable comments Paddy. I am reminded of this quote: “The strongest oak of the forest is not the one that is protected from the storm and hidden from the sun. It’s the one that stands in the open where it is compelled to struggle for its existence against the winds and rains and the scorching sun.” -NAPOLEON HILL
I believe that humor is an offshoot of creativity. We need to learn not to take ourselves or life too seriously, learn to cultivate our sense of humor, because when we do, it helps us play in the midst of difficulty, helps shape our reality by offsetting pain, and helps us laugh in the face of the absurdity of our pains and troubles. By no means does this mean that you should minimize or pretend that your troubles don’t exist. However, being able to find humor in every situation helps us cope more effectively. Staying emotionally strong in times of adversity is an Art. We need to learn it. Let us learn to enjoy funny books or movies. Lets laugh often.
J S BROCA NEW DELHI
20.05.14
PADDY’S REPLY TO MY COMMENTS:
Completely agree with your insightful remarks, Jitooji
PADDY
20TH MAY 2014