Today begins the month of October.  We are clearly entering into the autumn season as the leaves turn color and the evening air has a crisp coolness that settles like a comfortable blanket as the last of the lingering dusk wanes.  Stores everywhere are bombarding us with pumpkins and cornstalks, Halloween candies and costumes, jack-o-lanterns and ghouls …all on display for purchase at almost every turn.

October also shines light on the color PINK  Those familiar pink ribbons are everywhere, visible on product labels, window displays and all over the television news as well.  Unless you live under a rock, you know that they represent breast cancer awareness.   October has long been the calendar month designated to shine a very bright light on this difficult health challenge that affects millions of people every single year.

For me, it feels a bit weird, knowing that my ‘new normal’ has made it obvious to complete strangers that I am in the throes of cancer. Head scarves aren’t really in vogue right now, so unless they suspect I’ve escaped from a gypsy caravan, their next guess would be that I’m enduring chemotherapy.

Cancer often has a way of drawing attention, and I sure didn’t want that attention to turn to sympathy.  Nope, I’m not sad.  I’m not struggling. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a strong woman, I’m a fighter and I’m a doer.  I’m realistic and I understand that the way I choose to square off with whatever challenges come my way will have a clearly defined impact on the outcome of my journey.

No one knows what life will bring, on any given day.  But the reality is this:  life is fatal.  No one gets off the hook.

And what about the other months of the year?  There are of course eleven more of them. Do you know what health challenges those months are designated for?  I didn’t either, but I looked them up.  And the list is EXTENSIVE.  And it’s alarming, unless you have the good fortune of excellent health and are convinced that nothing will change your great luck as you motor forward throughout your remaining years.

But, should you or someone you know be facing a daunting health diagnosis that feels insurmountable, I offer you this video to watch.  It’s inspiring, uplifting and worth listening to over and over again.

In order to persevere, to thrive and to live life’s ultimate journey, I believe you must have faith in something greater than yourself, be it God or the daily sunrise that will never, never fail you.

February

• American Heart Month
• AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month
• National Children’s Dental Health Month
• International Prenatal Infection Prevention Month

• African Heritage & Health Week (first week of February)
• Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week (February 7-14)
• Condom Week (week of Valentine’s Day)
• Eating Disorders Awareness Week (last week of February)

• National “Wear Red” Day (first Friday of February)

March

• National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
• National Endometriosis Awareness Month
• National Kidney Month
• Multiple Sclerosis Education Month (promoted by the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation and others)
• National Nutrition Month
• Save Your Vision Month
• Sleep Awareness Month (promoted by the National Sleep Foundation)
• Trisomy Awareness Month
• Workplace Eye Wellness Month

• Patient Safety Awareness Week (first full week of March)
• National Sleep Awareness Week (the week before daylight savings switch)
• Brain Awareness Week (second full week of March)
• National Poison Prevention Week (third full week of March)

April

• Alcohol Awareness Month
• National Autism Awareness Month
• National Child Abuse Prevention Month
• National Donate Life Month
• National Facial Protection Month
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Month
• National Minority Health Month
• Occupational Therapy Month
• National Sarcoidosis Awareness Month
• STI Awareness Month
• Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month
• Sports Eye Safety Awareness Month
• Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month

• National Public Health Week (first full week of April)
• Minority Cancer Awareness Week (second full week of April)
• National Infertility Awareness Week (last full week of April)
• Every Kid Healthy Week (last full week of April)
• World Immunization Week (last week of April)
• National Infant Immunization Week (generally last week of April)
• Air Quality Awareness Week (last week of April)

• American Stroke Awareness Month (promoted by the National Stroke Association)
• Arthritis Awareness Month
• National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month
• Better Hearing and Speech Month
• National Celiac Disease Awareness Month
• Children’s Mental Health Week
• Clean Air Month
• Global Employee Health and Fitness Month
• Healthy Vision Month
• Hepatitis Awareness Month
• Lupus Awareness Month (promoted by the Lupus Foundation of America)
• National Mediterranean Diet Month
• Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month
• Mental Health Month
• National High Blood Pressure Education Month
• Older Americans Month
• National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
• National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month
• Preecalmpsia Awareness Month
• Ultraviolet Awareness Month

• Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week (first full week of May)
• Food Allergy Awareness Week (second full week of May)
• National Women’s Health Week (begins on Mother’s Day)
• National Alcohol- and Other Drug-Related Birth Defects Awareness Week (begins on Mother’s Day)
• National Neuropathy Awareness Week (second full week of May)

• National Senior Health Fitness Day (last Wednesday of May)

June

• Cataract Awareness Month
• Fireworks Safety Month (through July 4)
• Hernia Awareness Month
• Men’s Health Month
• Myasthenia Gravis Awareness Month
• National Aphasia Awareness Month
• National Congenital Cytomegalovirus Awareness Month
• National Safety Month
• National Scleroderma Awareness Month
• Scoliosis Awareness Month (promoted by National Scoliosis Foundation and others)

• Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week
• Men’s Health Week (second week of June)

• National Cancer Survivors Day (first Sunday of June)

July

• Cord Blood Awareness Month
• International Group B Strep Throat Awareness Month
• Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month
• National Cleft & Craniofacial Awareness & Prevention Month

August

• Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month
• National Breastfeeding Month
• National Immunization Awareness Month
• Psoriasis Awareness Month

• World Breastfeeding Week (first week of August)
• National Health Center Week (second full week of August)

September

• National Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month
• Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
• National Food Safety Education Month
• Fruit and Veggies-More Matters Month
• Healthy Aging Month
• National ITP Awareness Month
• Blood Cancer Awareness Month (promoted by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society)
• National Cholesterol Education Month
• Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
• National Pediculosis Prevention Month/Head Lice Prevention Month
• Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
• National Recovery Month
• National Sickle Cell Month
• National Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month
• National Yoga Awareness Month
• Newborn Screening Awarenss Month
• Whole Grains Month
• World Alzheimer’s Month

• National Suicide Prevention Week

• World Suicide Prevention Day (10)

October

• National Breast Cancer Awareness
• National Down Syndrome Awareness Month
• Eye Injury Prevention Month
• Health Literacy Month
• Healthy Lung Month
• Home Eye Safety Month
• National Physical Therapy Month
• SIDS Awareness Month
• Spina Bifida Awareness Month (promoted by the Spina Bifida Association)

• Mental Illness Awareness Week (first full week of October)
• Bone and Joint Health National Awareness Week (12-20)
• National Health Education Week (third full week of October)
• International Infection Prevention Week (third full week of October)
• Respiratory Care Week (last full week of October)
• Red Ribbon Week (last week of October)

• World Mental Health Day (10)

November

• National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month
• American Diabetes Month
• COPD Awareness Month
• Diabetic Eye Disease Month
• National Family Caregivers Month
• National Healthy Skin Month
• National Hospice Palliative Care Month
• Lung Cancer Awareness Month
• Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month
• National Stomach Cancer Awareness Month

• GERD Awareness Week (Thanksgiving week)

• Great American Smokeout (third Thursday of November)

December

• Safe Toys and Gifts Month

• National Influenza Vaccination Week (first full week of December)

• World AIDS Day (1)