www.stephmastini/forgotten ones /

Six years today I had a double mastectomy with reconstruction.  I am truly blessed and I am still going strong....Living my life and looking forward to a much needed vacation. One thing I learned the last six years is to start saying no.  I have been taking care of everyone my whole life it seems ...started when I was nine and my sister was born. I was a young single parent of two, on top of that.  My Dad and Mom were also part of my care giving lifestyle.  Now, I have stepped back. We need to take care of ourselves and we forget sometimes. I didn't even realize I had cancer when I was caring for my father since all I did was run run run... I do not regret any of the time I have spent being a caregiver but now it's time for me.

The smell of the salt in the air as I pick up my array of shells... beckons me... The winds blow my hair back, ...and I smile the sea calls me whispering to me ..to follow my heart... to feel the colors that surround me to paint the many hues that make up my life..