Third generation of fighting like girl, in lipstick and heels

Brave young Chicago area teens poured their words onto paper in the 4th annual "It's Always Something" Teen Essay competition.

Some of them had battled cancer themselves and some had watched someone they love battle this deadly disease.

Their journeys told with the purpose of helping others like themselves, to raise awareness for Gilda's Club Chicago and to earn prizes for their schools and a possibility of a scholarship for their future education.

Arianna Nutile,  my beautiful daughter participated in this yearly event.  It was an emotional roller coaster to say the least. Her words soaked with emotion as she describes in detail how it was growing up with a Mom who metastatic breast cancer.

For me, it was most difficult to read her words and relive the exact emotions that I felt while all of those events were taking place. She transported me to a time where I don't often go in my head. She opened doors I had slammed shut.

It took me three long days to be able to read her essay without breaking down into tears.  I still let a few drop each and every time I read it.

While this experience did bring pain and sorrow to the surface that may have been buried, sometimes that is the only way to deal with such extreme pain.  Like a bull you have to hit it head on.

Avoiding thinking about a painful past does not make it go away.  Arianna is somewhat defined by growing up with a Mom who was fighting to live. That fact cannot be changed or denied.  It isn't who she is completely but 2004 definitely changed who she would become.

I often felt guilt for that. But as my dear friend Linda told me, guilt is a wasted emotion. It serves no purpose.

So with that said I think this was a turning point of in our journey so far.  In a way it was a celebration of how far we have come. A celebration of our strength and courage and gives us hope that we can continue to fight like girls in lipstick in heels. 

I invite you to read her award winning essay and come on a part of our journey with us. But make sure you have tissues because fighting like a girl in lipstick in heels is not always glamorous!