Mothers Day is a day to reflect on our love for Mom and to recognize that nothing else contributes to our own strengths, confidence and ability to love than having been loved deeply and unconditionally by our Mothers. Mothers Day has also become a day of activism among women and families touched by cancer.

This year Mothers Day has been designated as “Women’s Health and Cancer Awareness Day”! Individuals, teams, organizations and communities everywhere are using this day to advocate for the well-being of Mothers. Mothers Day has also become a time to get out and get moving in solidarity, in memory of loved ones and in an effort to raise the funds that will enable us to defeat cancer.

Ten years ago, my sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. I traveled to NYC on Mothers Day weekend to join her team in the Revlon Run/Walk for Women, a premier event to raise money for the fight against women’s cancer. I began this race with a heavy heart as this was my second sister to be diagnosed with breast cancer. It was quite an emotional event for me to see so many thousands of participants with a common mission - to support a mother, sister, aunt or just a friend in the battle against women’s cancer. I was enveloped in a massive sea of strangers, all deeply connected by a determination to beat cancer. This event opened my eyes to the empowering and inspiring roles these events play in our collective experiences with cancer.

This massive movement to raise awareness through athletic endeavors has been steadily growing over the past decade as well as the notion that moderate exercise during cancer therapy is not only safe and possible, but it can actually improve physical functioning and quality of life! Many cancer care teams are now urging their patients to be as physically active as possible during their treatment. Participating in a cancer awareness event may be just what you need to transform exercise into a source of fun, stress relief, hope and a sense of solidarity and empowerment. Time to get moving to “unite and fight” and together we can do our part to try and banish cancer from our lives and those of our children.

Some premier events worth noting:

Yoga Unites for Living Beyond Breast Cancer, Revlon Run/Walk for Women, Walk to Empower (held in 10 Cities), Mother’s Day Classic (Australia), Susan G Komen Mother’s Day Race for the Cure - held in many cities!

Susan M. Beausang

4women.com