We all have them. We meaning those who are diagnosed with breast cancer, going through treatment and even years after treatment. I know I still do so thought I would write them down. They change daily, but writing them is therapeutic. Try it and pleas share!

I often share with my closest friends that I may knock on their door one day for a place to lay my head for a while, and they have all assured me that the door will remain open. That is the beauty of my life and the blessings that I have received. Although alone physically, my spirit is positive because of the people who are family and extended family. We are in each of our lives for a reason. Somehow we found each other to support each other in this vast universe, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Know that wherever you are under whatever circumstances, there is good. Make it a priority to search for it and keep it at the center of your thoughts and prayers.

Do not be fooled when our government claims victory once coronavirus is under control. Watch the statistics after they claim victory. We will continue to pay the price. Especially those in minority communities. The war will not be over; it will merely shift to save the lives of those who are forced to put their diagnosis and treatment on hold.

Some things happen to us in our life that we will never forget. We will remember the time and the place that we first heard of a tragic incident, and we will not forget what we were doing and our reaction to the news.

Unfortunately, It comes as no surprise that recent reports are showing that the number of mortalities from COVID-19 are disproportionately African-American. In cities across the nation, the Black population is increasingly dying from complications as we contract the disease at a rapid rate.

There is much to learn from disease and how it impacts our decisions, relationships, economy, and politics. It forces all of us to accept that we are not in control but must react to what it requires. In the case of the coronavirus, it is touching everyone everywhere and every decision we make based on how it has reached us or not. It has altered our interaction, threatens our economy, tested our political structure, and continues to test our capacity to care for one another.

This entire week I was concerned about moving forward with my infusion simply because I was worried about the hospital’s status in the wake of the coronavirus. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I had visions of people lining the walls, coughing, and sneezing without any protection and me walking away with the virus in tow.

Whether it is a deadly virus or chronic disease, our health is a challenge. It has the power to unify us as people or divide us as a nation. Any threat to our health that attempts to control our mobility, finances, and relationships has an immediate and lasting effect on who we are, how we operate, and if we survive.

Whatever happened to a simple phone call? Not a text, face time or message through social media, but literally picking up the phone and dialing a number where you hear someone’s voice on the other end. At this time of social distancing, I see a lot of creative social media challenges and posts. I have done some and participated in others.

Even if I am considered part of a vulnerable population, I don’t want to be!

In reality, who does!

I just turned 60 last year and finished chemotherapy in October. Until recently I felt like I was making a comeback. But I had to undergo one more surgery this month and it seemed that I had taken 10 steps backward. And then here comes the coronavirus

If you are anything like me, you have wondered if there was something that I could have done as a child to prevent my cancer diagnosis. Were there decisions that I made or didn’t make that caused me to be diagnosed later? What could I have done differently to make sure that I was not a breast cancer candidate.