Coming of age...

It’s noted by different cultures to occur at different ages but, regardless of when it’s recognized,  coming of age represents a time in one’s life when they move away from a state of dependence toward one of independence. It means that one is no longer governed fully by those who perhaps gave them life and that they are now free to choose a path of their own.

For me, coming of age happened around the age of 18. It was when I graduated high school and made plans to head to college. My major was one I selected and the nearly 5 hour distance away from home was desirable to me. Because I wanted to discover who I was and what I wanted to be. I was ready to carve a path of my own, armed with all of the morals and love that my parents had provided me in the years leading up to now.

And so I was off. I was making my way.

And while my parents might have been somewhat far away as time went on, they never really left me. They may have drifted more into the background, allowing me to become my own person, but they were still always there to pick me up when I fell or to tell me they were proud of me when I achieved some personal goal. They were just doing it from the sidelines rather from the drivers seat. And just as they stepped aside, there were others who intersected with my path along the way to become mentors, friends, and colleagues. All who played some small or big part in the decisions I would make in the years that followed. Decisions that allowed me to become my own person - not just my parent’s daughter.

On April 7, 2022 I celebrated my 18th anniversary from my breast cancer diagnosis. A date which also marks the beginning of starting the Feel Your Boobies® Foundation. In some ways I feel like Feel Your Boobies® is my child. Because I birthed the idea and have worked tirelessly to keep it alive and thriving throughout its 18 years of life. I’ve been it’s cheerleader when others had trouble seeing its merit and have also perhaps been its biggest critic when it falls off track. Nonetheless, I’ve been here every step of the way because I believe in it and I want it to succeed so that it makes a difference in the world.

So it’s not an accident, I believe, that in its 18th year of existence the Foundation has come of age. It’s no longer in need of a parent and it’s ready to make its own way. A new Executive Director will step in to be one of many over time who will walk with the Foundation on this new journey - to make it stronger and provide insight to all the various ways it can impact the young women who need to hear this message. 

Of course I’ll always be on the sideline with a big smile on my face as I watch it make its way. It’s my baby and I’m so proud of it. It’s given me as much life as I’ve breathed into it. And now it’s time to step back and watch it become all it was ever meant to be.