Local Voices: Out of the Mouths of Babes

Excerpt from You Fearless, May 21, 2011

I find that when I don’t feel well or I am down, I love to be around children. I think it’s because they haven’t developed fears about what to say … they just say it like it is. I think we all wish at times we could just “say it like it is” but we get overwhelmed or concerned about people’s reactions and this makes our communication less honest and pure.

So many of my friends who have dealt with cancer credit their kids for keeping them sane. Some of my favorite stories:

• My friend’s 5-year-old daughter consoling her mom after she lost her hair from breast cancer. My friend was uncomfortable going out for the first time without her hair. Her daughter held her hand as they got out of the car and said “Mommy, I think you look beautiful with OR without hair
• My friend’s 8-year old son being told on the playground that his mom was going to die of cancer. He matter-of-factly looked at the boy who said this and he said, “She doesn’t have that kind of cancer.”
• My friend’s 10-year-old son reacting to his mom feeling overwhelmed by cancer treatments, work and raising a family. “Mom, we all have tough days. You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself”

Read the rest of Jen's blog on YouFearless @ Out of the Mouth of Babes, May 21, 2011.

Read more by Jennifer Goodman Linn on YouFearless.com and WebMD.com.