Cancer. It really knows how to attack. Attack a body. Attack a family. Attack a soul. Attack the root of everything you have ever known as good and safe in the world. Cancer attacked our mom. It was vicious and mean and didn’t hold any punches. I’ve never hated anything in my life until I met cancer in the eyes. And I hate it more than words can ever express. Cancer robbed my mom of life. Robbed my dad of the love of his life. Robbed myself, my brother and sister of the person we held most dearly to our hearts. And robbed her grandchildren and future grandchildren of years of love and laughs, health and happiness. It is safe it say I hate cancer more than imaginable from what it has done to strip us of part of our souls.
Knowing me, you know I am not one to hold a grudge or hate or contain negativity in my being. To me, that is a waste of energy. So when my mom died from this horrific cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer), it inspired me to live life bigger than ever and to most definitely continue the work Alli and I do with Fit Communications spreading the word of health each and every day. Currently, one in every three human beings will be diagnosed with cancer in their days. And let me tell you from first hand experience, it is a bitch. It will steal your heart and soul with its vicious ways. It can bring the happiest human being, full of such optimism and love and happiness to a place of darkness. What cancer did to my mom is unforgivable, but in that we are trying to find peace and DO something about it.
So that is where our upcoming fundraiser comes in. This Friday and Saturday (May 23 and 24) we are holding a ‘garage sale’ in support of Cancer Care Manitoba. We are selling everything from household goodies to children’s furniture to high-end men’s shoes, and everything in between, all in support of bringing an end to this horrific disease. Our mom was a lover of garage sales. Just last summer my mom and I would hit up Inglewood in search for a cool find. Always with a coffee in hand and the love of hearing the story of someone else’s treasure. We had so much fun together. So what better way to raise money for Cancer Care Manitoba than to open our treasures to the people of Winnipeg.
What I would do to have just another hug from my mom, a giggle with her, a night together to watch the Jets play. To watch her cuddle with her grandkids like I so fondly remember doing as a kid, to listen to her gab for an hour about everything and anything with her sisters, to have the wonderful motherly advice that I sometimes need more than imaginable. She would tell Alli and I ‘Just put some lipstick on and go out and have fun!’ as the solution to every problem. But now I realize that is seriously it. Feel good about YOU…no matter how that may happen, feel really really good about YOU. And then go out into the world and make all of your dreams come true. All of them. The little. The big. The crazy ones. No matter what the crazy idea I had I can still hear my mom say ‘That’s a great idea! How can I help?!’. And that is exactly what supportive people do. They encourage and they jump into action.
So with that, we are raising more funds in the name of the most beautiful spirit to ever walk this earth, Joanne Katz for Cancer Care Manitoba. So it you are up for a treasure hunt, a giggle over lost treasures, or just feel like remembering our mom, please join us May 23 and 24 for a garage sale in support of Cancer Care Manitoba. Remembering the woman who taught me how to love – love big and love unconditionally and this world is your oyster.
Garage Sale Details:
Location – 110 Aldershot Blvd – Winnipeg
When: Friday, May 23 from 5 – 7:30pm and Saturday, May 24 from 8am – 1pm