LiveSTRONG today in honor of the l♥ve we lost yesterday...

Do you know why today is LiveSTRONG day? Because October 2nd was the day that Lance Armstrong received the devastating news that he had testicular cancer. That was a life-altering diagnosis for a man who was young and healthy and vital. Lance took that diagnosis and he LivedSTRONG to the best of his ability and knocked his disease to its knees on more than one occasion. Never once did he give in to defeat. He'd get shoved down and would get right back up again - an example to all of us.

I'm sure that all of us know someone who faced the demon named cancer and came out on top. I'm sure that all of us know someone who fought the good fight and lost the battle even though they faced each day with courage and strength. Every day when we close the door to our home behind us we are surrounded by valiant warriors who are unknown to us. They go about their day without making us aware of their struggle - their battles - and their fears and sorrows.

My mother and I. She fought the good fight against breast cancer and lost - but fight she did and with a passion.

We are also surrounded by family heroes who go by the name of mother, father, sister, brother, son, daughter and friend - people who support those they love dearly who have been informed they have cancer or that their cancer has returned.

Last, but certainly not least, we are surrounded by those warriors who fought the good fight and won! They took on a foe that makes most of us cringe and shudder in our boots. They had the mastectomy or prostate surgery or amputation or lumpectomy and then they endured weeks and months of toxic chemicals being poured into their bodies. Medications that made them so sick they wanted to just lay down and die. But, they didn't - they kept on and they came out the other side triumphant holding the banner of remission or complete cure!

Whether you live with cancer or died with cancer YOU are my hero. If you love someone or help to care for someone with cancer YOU are my hero. If you have stood by a grave (as I have) and mourned for love lost too soon, YOU are my hero. The fight against cancer is filled with heroes and heroines - those we know about and those we have never heard mentioned. Those people are all icons of beauty and strength and courage and triumph. I stand before them humbled because no matter what I have endured in my lifetime, I yield to their impeccable example of character in the face of a foe that has the capability of taking a 200 pound man and dropping him to his knees in fear when he hears that he must don his emotional armour and fight the good fight for his life.

My h♥art-dog, Tony, who died in my arms in 1987, killed by hemangiosarcoma. No heart has beat with more courage or love or devotion.

Did you know that LiveSTRONG has a web site with literally volumes of information and assistance and links that guide and instruct US and those we love about what we need to do to stand up and take that first step to live the remainder of our lives strong and healthy? Take a look, you'll get lost reading its volumes of fantastic information about a myriad of healthy topics. You will be able to participate in support groups to help you as you diet or stop smoking or begin to exercise or get into your kitchen to learn how to cook healthy. It's all there. It's all FREE. What are you waiting for? Let's all LiveSTRONG today and tomorrow and all of our tomorrows - for us and for those who are fighting the good fight and for those who fought the most difficult battle of their lives and lost.

Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Good, sound advice.

And, last but not least: October is National Breast Cancer Month. Wear a pink ribbon on your blog in support of all the courageous women who have faced down this demon and told it to 'go to h*ll'.