Weekly Round-Up

Welcome, dear readers. I’m so glad you’re here.

As another October closes, Nancy wonders if there’s finally a change in how Breast Cancer Awareness Month is observed. She notices fewer ribbons and less pink-washing—and senses a growing emphasis on year-round care, metastatic breast cancer, and authentic awareness. Yet she also challenges us to keep asking harder questions: Are campaigns moving beyond surface imagery? Are funds reaching those who most need them? And most importantly, is awareness translating into real change?

Barbara shares why the holiday season now brings her special joy as a breast cancer survivor, offering a glimpse of gratitude that feels especially poignant after illness.

Terri offers a thoughtful reminder to pause before posting on social media after breast surgery. In those tender, post-operative moments when pain or disappointment run high, she urges readers to remember that “your story is sacred, and your healing deserves space.”

Beth writes movingly about the grief of divorce—“a death on many levels”—and how, over time, life expanded again in unexpected ways. Her accompanying landscape painting of the San Francisco area, rich in colour and light, mirrors her hard-won sense of renewal.

Carolyn reflects on the sustaining power of sisterly connection—those deep, chosen bonds that help us endure illness, loss, and uncertainty. She honours the women who have listened without judgment, reminding us how empathy and shared experience can transform isolation into belonging.

Gabby shares a refreshingly gentle approach to regaining energy during the dark winter months.

And Connie closes this week with a tender meditation on how our dreams evolve over time. As life shifts and energy changes, she reminds us that dreams need not disappear—they simply adapt. Keeping them alive, she writes, is less about scale and more about staying open to what still stirs our spirit.

Until next time,

May you find warmth, renewal, and gentleness in the season ahead.

Much love always

Marie xxx