I had a lovely weekend of autumnal walking and foraging, enjoying the autumn sights and smells while gathering sloes, blackberries and apples. Aware that I hadn't updated the blog for ages, I planned to write about the weekend but was too tired to do so once I'd finished with my loot on Sunday evening. No problem, I thought - I'll do it Monday evening.
Then, last night, I heard the news that Cat - who had been doing rads at the same time as I was back in early 2009 - died yesterday afternoon.
Knowing that she was in hospital, I had been thinking about her a lot over the weekend as I took photos and planned what I'd do with the fruit. I was thinking about her again yesterday as I drove home from work.
She was a great support when I was struggling part way through rads and as we exchanged messages we learnt a bit more about our respective lives and approach to life. We continued to discuss all manner of things and particularly aspects of what might be termed breast cancer politics - including issues of Pinkness and language. A couple of Octobers ago Cat set herself the challenge of taking a daily "cute pink" photo and hitting home the contrasting reality with the accompanying text.
Her untimely death is one of the tragedies of breast cancer and reminds us that - as another friend put it - positivity and bravery are not enough, and that Cat and others have died because no-one has yet found a cure. A cure for a disease that isn't trivial, pink and fluffy.
So this evening I will raise a glass and light a candle to the memory of another great woman who was not tickled pink to find herself diagnosed with breast cancer, never mind with metastatic breast cancer.
Let us remember the realities amid the flurry of pink trivia that will be October.
