Bare-breasted Mama

No. This is not about naked women, so if you googled 'bare-breasted' or 'naked' then...go away.

This is about my friend, Gail Konop Baker, and her wonderfully poignant, honest and sometimes painful monthly column she writes for Literary Mama. Gail has survived breast cancer with her sense of joy and humor in tact. Here's an excerpt to gnaw on:

"The catch is, once a cell has mutated, the damage has been done long ago, the body's built-in self-protective system has failed. I have failed myself. No textbook, no research, no footnote can alter the fact that my body let cancer sneak its devious cruel-ass self in."

There you have it. The simple, naked truth of feeling betrayed by your own body. Captured in one sentence. Powerful stuff.

If you want to laugh and cry simultaneously, go check her out: http://www.literarymama.com/columns/barebreastedmama/

I promise you will hug your loved ones tighter and look at the world with a bit more appreciation...if only for a moment.