Sue Miller Day of Caring

Last week, Ellen brought Butterfly Kisses and  Wishes on Wings to the Sue Miller Day of Caring in her home state of Colorado- Making our first appearance at this event to benefit breast cancer awareness.

Ellen at our table... butterflies abound!

The need for our book and the heartwarming response I received at the event continues to remind me why Nanci and I created Butterfly Kisses and Wishes on Wings.  The biggest hit was probably our new note cards with the image of the Nanci's Butterfly Kiss on it.  

Butterfly Kiss Notecard
Sold in set of 6
$8.00 set

Meeting all the other wonderful organizations that work together to raise awareness, educate, or supply products for cancer patients  made the day memorable.  My very favorite part was seeing Dr. Sami Diab again.  Dr. Diab was my friend Jennifer's oncologist (she is my friend who told me not to be sad when she passed.... that each time I saw a butterfly, it would be her.  That's when the butterfly came to be in our a story.)  


How pleased I was that Dr. Diab remembered me... and our book.  


I am truly blessed with all the many people I have met through our book.... yes indeed, truly blessed.

It's All about Showing Up

Some have talked the talk and some have walked the walk. 

There is also something to be said about Running the Run. There are any number of events that raise awareness, generate financial contribution and bring community together to support an individual or collective in need. There is power- and fun in showing up.

 

This year, thanks to my son Griffin and his friends who signed up for ACS Relay for Life at Unionville, HS on June 8 & 9th, and my friend Kathy Hrenko who's coordinating the event, 

I have decided to show up and take a lap with other survivor's.

I will also be there with wings, wishes on wings that is, signing and selling Butterfly Kisses books to benefit American Cancer Society.

Margaret Zuccotti
holding her record
Susan G. Komen
Philadelphia Race for the Cure

Margaret Zuccotti, creator and founder of Reading for Reassurance,  has crossed the finish line FIRST for the survivors division in the Komen Philadelphia Race for the Cure- for 4 years in a row.  This Sunday she will be going for her 5th!  A woman with a big heart- and strong lungs and legs- and some fierce determination thrown in.

Running for Maria
Ava, Maria Boyes & Jim
Race for the Cure NJ, May 6, 2012

Daughter, Ava and husband, Jim Boyes showing off their pink for mom and wife, Maria Boyes.

Who are you running for this year?

Open House for Butterflies

Strolling through downtown Kennett Square last weekend, a small book in the window of RLD Books

lured me in to the shop.

A page from
Open House for Butterflies
by Ruth Krauss
pictures by Maurice Sendak
Harper & Row, Publishers ©1960

Open House for Butterflies written by Ruth Krauss and illustrated by Maurice Sendak.  I loved the title, of course,  the work of Maurice Sendak is incomparable, and the simple childlike insight of Ruth Krauss with phrases like "Lapkin is a good word to know," was all I needed. The book came home with me.

So glad it did.

Maurice Sendak passed away today.  We will miss you Maurice.  May you find peace where the wild things are...

Where DID Your Mojo Go?

This post is for the women and moms out there wondering... Where'd My Mojo Go?

Last week I attended a lecture with that title at Christiana Care as part of their Celebrating Women's Health Lecture Series.

   The evening began with a performance by Tapestry Tribal, 
                   a belly dance troupe led by Bonnie, one of 
Dr. Whitney's staff nurses

Gynecologist Estelle Whitney, M.D.  was the guest speaker for the evening. Her talk began with a short story reading of erotica (definately set the tone) followed by a slide show that offered everything from the benefits of sexual activity to the physical and emotional factors that affect our ability to enjoy an active healthy sex life. She ended with a guided meditation for relaxation.  It was informative in an open, relaxed, fun setting.

Where ever you are with your treatment, or your life it's good to know that you are not alone and when you are ready, there are wonderful resources out there.

Here's a good place to start:
Seven Weeks to Better Sex  by Domeena C. Renshaw
Pleasure: A Woman's Guide to Getting the Sex you Want, Need and Deserve by Dr. Hilda Hutcherson
American Association of Sex Education Counselors and Therapists
Passion Parties
Hot Movies for Her

You go girl!

Save the Dates - May Calendar for BK WOW

April Showers bring May Flowers...

Happy May Day!
This month brings two new events for Ellen and I to sign and share our books both on May 12.

Look for Ellen at the Sue Miller Day of Caring for Breast Cancer Awareness
in Denver, CO

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Denver Marriott Tech Center

4900 S. Syracuse St., Denver, CO 80237

8:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M.

Find Nanci at Hockessin Book Shelf
7179 Lancaster Pike
Hockessin, DE
302-235-7665
hockessinbookshelf@verizon.net

Buy a Butterfly Wish in honor or memory of someone you love...
and pay it forward

Ellen will be at the Sue Miller Day of Caring in Denver, and Nanci will be at the Hockessin Book Shelf signing books and selling Butterfly Wishes for $1.00 to benefit Christiana Care's Cancer Special Needs Fund at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center.

Glad to Help

This colorful Thank you was recently received all the way from the Department of Child Psychiatry at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa after we received the initial request below.

Thank you so so so much for all those books.  I finally collected the parcel at the end of last week.  You are absolute stars.  I’m taking the books down to the ward today.

 

Wow!

 

Megan

Your book and resources look amazing. I am a clinical psychologist working in a large government hospital in a very impoverished community in South Africa. I run groups for kiddies with cancer as well as the parents of these kiddies (from birth to 18 years). The unit currently has no \'story\' that can be used to explain cancer to the kiddies, or for us to share with the parents to help them to explain cancer to their kiddies and, in general, resources are very scant. Any donations of your products or offers of special rates on them would be much appreciated. 


Kind regards
Megan Jones
Community Service Clinical Psychology
Department of Child Psychiatry
Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa 




We love that our book has found its way to Africa and feel blessed that we too, can be butterflies!

"My pictures always make her smile..."
Butterfly Kisses and Wishes on Wings:
When someone you love has cancer... a hopeful, helpful book for kids
©2012McVicker&Hersh, LLC

Lessons Learned

Some conversations - or lessons learned are never easy.

"She said it's hard to explain.
I asked her to try anyway."
Butterfly Kisses and Wishes on Wings: When someone you love has cancer... a hopeful, helpful book for kids
©2012McVicker&Hersh,LLC

My boys attended their first funeral this past weekend. We had a week or two to prepare them that their aunt was in the hospital and that there was a strong chance that she may not pull through.

The real shock was that our sister-in-law was so sick. Apparently, had been for a while. She mentioned some tests to a couple of us, but her adult sons were not aware of all this. These past three weeks, for both of them, have been a crash course in navigating the medical and legal fields, all while dealing with their own shock, sense of overwhelm, grief, and anger, at having been unaware of what was going on with their mom.

Some conversations are never easy, but we need to give our children, at any age, a place to ask questions, express fears and concerns and feel a part of our lives. While we can.

As parents, we want to "protect" our children.  The reality is that we can't. We can only show our love by empowering them with tools that foster resilience and trust. Knowing what and how much to tell our children will vary depending on age and situation, but the lesson learned this past weekend is that it is a conversation that needs to happen, before it's too late.

How much have you told your children about a challenging illness or situation in your family? 

For links to resources and support, please visit our Butterfly Kisses Book website
In addition, Supporting Kidds offers a number of programs and information for grief support for children and their families.