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SALT LAKE CITY — Pink ribbons, pink merchandise and even pink football players remind us that October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Other than skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women.
The American Cancer Society estimated that in 2013, 232,340 new cases of invasive breast cancer were diagnosed among women. Millions of women survive breast cancer but it’s estimated that nearly 40,000 died last year from this disease. The annual awareness campaign is meant to urge us to get a mammogram and donate to the fight against breast cancer.
One Utah blogger is taking this awareness a step further and encouraging women to not just think about their breast health but embrace their womanly features (or lack thereof) and choose to love their breasts and themselves.
Courtney Killpack is a bra fitter, bra educator and passionate about women’s issues. As a bra fitter, Killpack works with a lot of women to help them embrace their shape and improve their confidence.
"I find that most women have a hate relationship with their breasts and that makes me really sad," she said. "They're either small, large, lopsided, saggy or too wide, and it made me realize that we need to stop this breast and body shaming because our bodies are beautiful and powerful."
Tuesday morning, Killpack kicked off an online movement called “Love Your Boobs, Love Yourself.” As part of this movement, Killpack created a video (with entirely tasteful images) and interviewed a group of women, asking them questions about their relationship with their breasts, how they feel the media depicts women and how we can love and accept our physical features, particularly our breasts.
"I hope to inspire women with this Love Your Boobs, Love Yourself video that to completely love ourselves as women, we need to love and accept our boobs," Killpack said. "There's a direct relationship between our self image of and the relationship we have with our breasts."
She is encouraging all of us to share our story and participate in the movement. I’m excited to join Killpack and other bloggers to support women and encourage them to love their bodies and themselves.
I was a “late-bloomer” by every definition of the phrase and was always self-conscious about my body. The real moment I learned to love myself and love my chest for what it was happened at the young age of 23 when I noticed a (scary) large lump in my right breast. I was still a newlywed, not yet even a mother. Few things make you appreciate all the challenges, trials and blessings you have like the thought of cancer.
Soon I found myself in a waiting room, about to see a breast specialist. I looked around at all the much older women in the room with me and my mind couldn't help but wonder about their life and their story. Thankfully I soon learned that the word “benign” is the most beautiful, hope-giving word.
It seems so long ago now, and the literal scar left behind from this experience is smaller than a pinhead. Yet, when given the chance to rally for women, women's health and body love, I am right there — every step of the way.
You too can join Killpack, myself and other brave women who are sharing their stories about breast love. To participate, share a picture of yourself and what defines you as a woman, using hashtag: #LoveYourBoobsLoveYourself on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.
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Nicole Carpenter CEO of www.MOMentity.com and creator of Define Your Time training program. She is a speaker and author of "52 Weeks to Fortify Your Family," available in January 2015. Nicole and her husband are raising four kids in Syracuse, Utah. Follow her on Twitter @momentity.*
