When You Get to the End of Your Rope...

... Tie a knot and hang on!


Wow.  What a week. Soooo ready to put it to bed.


I have to tell you.... After beating my head against the Planned Parenthood wall for the last couple of years, when I heard the news that Komen would no longer fund that organization, my first response was "Praise God!"  Remember, I was in the camp that had faith Komen would fill the gaps and continue to serve uninsured women -- in some manner that didn't involve great controversy.


I was soooo thankful we wouldn't have to fight the Planned Parenthood battle any longer. I was soooo tired of making excuses for Komen and thankful we were going to get a break from the attacks.  I haven't been directly accused of being a "baby-killer" all that often -- but really, it's not much fun.  Especially for a moral high-ground kind of girl who really likes to avoid conflict.


Obviously Komen had no idea the sewage that would be begin spewing the instant Planned Parenthood sent their incendiary email.  And since we established long ago that I'm safely on the naive side of things.... I was shocked.


But not nearly as shocked as I was when the decision was reversed.  That, my friends, just pretty much did me in. Kaput.


You see, before Komen originally pulled the funding, I could deal with the status quo.  I knew where I stood.  And I was okay with it. I knew what to say when questioned about the link.  All was good.


But here's the deal.... Until Tuesday, the relationship with Planned Parenthood was Komen's dirty little secret. It wasn't something they bragged about far and wide. They knew it was a relationship they shouldn't be in in the first place. And in the grand scheme of things, very few people knew about it.


Now, pretty much everyone knows.


I don't think Komen was making a statement about abortion by pulling out in the first place. I think Komen was trying to quietly pull out before they had to make a statement.


Let's face it.  If Komen really thought Planned Parenthood was the Bee's Knees, they would have donated MILLIONS each year to the organization -- not a measly $680,000.  More than anything, this was a token sponsorship.  A pat on the back that said, "thank you for checking the melons."  And that's about it.  A cursory means of support.


I've learned a lot the last week. I've learned to look deeper into what's shared. I've seen just how ugly and bitter and hateful some people can be -- and how much that disappoints me.  I've searched my soul and found exactly where I stand on this whole Planned Parenthood issue.


I think the thing that struck me the most was when people would say, "Planned Parenthood does so much good!  Abortions only count for 3% of their services."  How did we get to a point where killing babies only 3% of the time is okay?  Insert any other negative situation into that 3% formula and see how people react.  "He did a lot of good. He only murdered 3% of the people he met." REALLY????


That's just one of the things I've heard over and over this week.  It makes me so sad. I think Satan has his fingerprints all over what happened this week, and I KNOW he was partying Friday night.


I know MBA and media relations classes will be studying this for years to come.



So here I was, Friday at noon -- about to call the staff at the 3-Day on the "special" bat-phone number I get because I've walked a gazillion times..... When BAM! I get the word that the decision had been reversed.


I've never had an instant migraine before.  Now I know what that's like.


Tears started flowing, and I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. I really can't begin to explain how it slammed me.  I'd been listening to people throwing temper tantrums all week -- and I threw one of my one. It was a doozy.  To be fair, it was fueled by exhaustion, PMS, and a grief I never realized I needed to deal with.


But guess what????  Here's the deal....  I'm still going to walk in the 3-Day for the Cure.  In Dallas. The first weekend in November.  


And some of you are wondering how on Earth I could do that.  It's really pretty simple.  I don't walk for Komen.  I walk for my Mom.  That's it.  I walk for my Mom.


I walk because the only way we will stop this disease is through research. LOTS of research.  I walk because I can do something about that.



Here's the deal.  I'm not defined by Komen or their relationship with Planned Parenthood.



Yes, Komen provides the venue.  But really, it's not about Komen.  Team Tiara has become so big and such an incredible presence on the walk that for our team, it's our walk.


To walk, I will still need to raise $2300.  That $2300 will still go to Komen for the Cure.  I'm okay with that.  I know that 80% of what we raise on the 3-Day goes to research.  I know that any stray funds that go to Planned Parenthood will be watched like a hawk -- that they will only go to breast health services. 


I also know there's a very strong chance Komen may be sticking with their original decision.  Nothing in the statement released Friday says that they will definitely give funds to Planned Parenthood.   Planned Parenthood can apply for grants, but that doesn't mean they'll get them.  I can't wait to see how that all shakes out.


As I said earlier, Komen provides the venue.  They don't provide the love and hugs and spirit and turquoise sparkle skirts and stories and smiles that make the 3-Day what it is for me.  I have a precious family of walkers that provide all of that and more.  I'll continue to walk. And I'll continue to work my butt off for a cure.  And unless something really crazy happens, that is all I have to say about that.


Oh.  Wait.  One more thing. If the 3-Day loses their sponsorship from Nuun as a result of the fall-out from this nightmare of a week, I'm okay with that.


To help fund my walk For My Mom, please go to my fundraising page.


If you're still reeling from the last week, and aren't really sure Komen is where you want your donation dollars, please donate via PayPal at Pinktober365.com.  All donations will go to Team Tiara's Metastatic Breast Cancer Research Fund.  Grants will be made directly to researchers who are conducting life-saving research in an under-funded area where we desperately need to make a lasting impact.


If you feel the need to comment, please be sweet.  I'm still beaten and bruised -- but healing.  Don't mess with me.