Year after year, October rolls around and you start to see pink everywhere. I never thought much of it, other than another month and another way to draw people’s much needed attention to breast cancer awareness. I even used to run in the Race for the Cure every year in memory of my dad. But as my life got increasingly busy, my commitment to the cause waned. Until now.
A couple weeks ago, my husband received a call from his boss while we were out running errands. Now given that the guy is a closet comedian, most conversations start and end with excessive banter or my husband almost in tears from laughing so hard. In between chasing our son around the store, I glance over at Grant and realize he was neither joking nor laughing. Then I finally hear him utter something along the lines of “well if there’s anything she needs or if you want us to come over”, followed by a concerned look – I quickly realize this is serious and my mind races. I jump to conclusions worrying about their daughter who is in her 2nd trimester pregnant with their first grandson, and even speak her name in concern – but my husband just shakes his head. Finally, he hangs up the phone to reveal that his boss’ wife just found out she has breast cancer and immediately we’re both in shock.
Before I go on, let me explain just what these two people mean to us. Although my husband has worked for this husband and wife practically since we moved to LA – to call them his bosses, just doesn’t do the relationship justice. They are quite literally our home away from home, our family away from family. We’ve spent holidays together, they were the first to visit us at the hospital when our son was born, and they’ve even taken us on a family vacation (remember Cabo?). As if that doesn’t tell you the kind of people they are – they are by definition the salt of the earth. The kind of people that would give you the shirt off their back, no questions asked. And they do just that for anyone who comes to them for help – because that’s just who they are.
Now you can only imagine how we felt when we got hit with the news. Of course, you just have to ask “Why? Why do bad things happen to good people?” I know it’s cliche but seriously that’s how it makes you feel. After the initial reaction, you just start thinking of anything you can do to help and support this family who are now the ones who need to be taken care of. So I bake a platter full of my cornbread muffins that I make every year for Christmas, and that they reportedly devour to the last crumb – but it just never feels like enough. Oddly enough, it was the start of breast cancer awareness month, and it dawned on me that it’s the perfect time to find a way to get involved and show our support for a cure to this nasty disease.
Since my mind naturally gravitates to fashion and the people I can reach through my blog, I called up the one person I know who owns more pink than Barbie herself – my mom. She also has very different taste from me, so I was a little hesitant. But as I sifted through the pile of varying shades of “Pepto” pink, I came across a pastel pink button down from White House Black Market (shop it here). She explained that she almost didn’t grab that one and I explained how it looked exactly like my favorite Equipment silk shirts (which I will own one day). I paired it with Kenneth Cole black straight leg jeans (similar here) and lace-up heels (similar here and here) – to take the edge off ?
If you’re looking for a way to put your next online shopping binge toward a good cause, I’ve got just the thing. I recently joined the highly addictive shopping app Donde Fashion as a style ambassador, and as it turns out their founder Liat was recently hit with similar news. In support of their community of women, they are donating 100% of proceeds to Stand Up To Cancer from any pink item of clothing bought via the app throughout the month of October. All you have to do is download the app and follow me to shop my “Pink Wish List” in honor of our friend. Happy shopping!
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