Dear Boobies

Dear boobies,

You’ve been pushed up, you’ve been squashed down, you’ve been covered up, you’ve been uncovered, you’ve been groped, you’ve been suckled, you’ve been infected, you’ve been engorged, you’ve been bumped, you’ve been bruised, you’ve been caressed, you’ve been dismissed, and most recently, you’ve been compressed. In a mammogram’s vice grip. And you came through for me. I’ve always thought you to be nothing spectacular. Small, unvoluminous, unvoluptuous, unimpressive. But I was wrong. You are wonderful. You are healthy.

And I’m sorry for all the times I abused you. Tried to make you something you weren’t. Shoved you into underwire and foam padding and pretended you were…more. You are enough. You are beautiful. You are marvelous. You deserve respect and tenderness and to be allowed to be just what you are. You’re straight-A students (sometimes a B if the hormones are flowing). Someday, you might fall victim to that damn C word, the one we hate so much. The one that recently landed on a loved one’s ears when her doctor gave her the news we never want to hear.

But today, I will rejoice in the gift of good health. Because being ungrateful is the most offensive thing we can do to those who would love to have what we have. Today, and tomorrow, and until the day they fail me, I will love what the good Lord gave me. Healthy boobies.

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Remember, talk to your doctor if you’re concerned about your breast health. While breast pain is usually dismissed as un-related to breast cancer, it CAN be a sign. It was for my loved one, and I’m glad she followed her instincts. I’ve had severe pain for awhile, and I’m glad my OB followed through with additional testing. It doesn’t hurt to find out what’s going on.