Carolyn "The Dreaded "C" Word"

Photography by Randy Bacon

"There was that initial shock when they told me I had the dreaded "C" word, but then I decided I can fight or succumb to it. Cancer, remember this: I have you, you do not have me! You cannot ruin my body. You cannot ruin my relationships. You cannot take my beauty. You cannot take my life. You cannot weaken my faith. I don't know where you came from, but you are not of God. God is perfection in all things, and I am made in God's image; therefore, you do not belong in my body. God bestows only good gifts, and God makes good out of human challenges.

Every morning I wake up, look in the mirror at my shiny skull and throw back my head and laugh at you. You thought you could silently slip up on me and steal my life, but you forgot that there is a Divine Mind that knows what is going on, and that Divine Mind orders my life and gave me wisdom to seek medical help. You can challenge me, but you can't have me! you have no power in my life! Well, if you couldn't steal my health, you thought you could at least give a blow to my ego through the treatment and the hair loss and weakness...no luck!

Having no hair has been an adventure in new hats, head wraps and outfits. I have learned that my beauty doesn't come from the hair on my head, but from the glow of God's presence deep within. So I say, cancer, you have no place in my life. There is room for only one power, God. Be gone! Be gone! Be gone!"