By ALI CUDBY
I’ve been on the road a lot lately. Since the beginning of October, I’ve been in Denver, Vancouver, New Orleans, New York City and San Diego. Philadelphia, San Francisco and Los Angeles are next. Last weekend, the prospect of a relaxing week with no travel was beginning to seem like an oasis in the desert. As much as I love my work, I couldn’t wait to come home and chill.
Then I got a text from a friend.
“Can you take my dogs for a week?”
That’s dogs – plural. Two of them, to be exact. In addition to my two dogs. Normally, the answer would be a fast and clear NO, but this friend is different. She is battling cancer, and it has spread. And she has four young children. Suffice it to say, when she asked I immediately said yes. In fact, I was grateful for the opportunity to watch her dogs.
Why?
I was grateful because it was something tangible I could do to help.
Similarly, when Elizabeth Maria Walsh discovered she had terminal cancer, she dedicated her time to creating a not-for-profit organization, Dancers with Cancer. Dancers with Cancer helps “heal those afflicted with cancer and other debilitating diseases through the art of dance therapy, as well as raise funding through the arts to support orphan cancer research and serve underprivileged children with cancer.”
You can read more about the limited edition sleepwear by b*up Sleepwear to support Dancers with Cancer in Ellen Lewis’ blog post.
Why did Elizabeth Maria Walsh spend her precious time in dedication to helping other people? Because it was something she could do, and she wanted to be of true service.
When friends and family members are sick, it is most often women who show up with food, support, and assistance. The question “what can I do” is not unique to women – and men are active participants in making the world a better place. But in our society, nurturing is still planted most often in the realm of women. Taking action with small, meaningful gestures of support is where women are more predisposed to step up. They do it even when they themselves are in need of comfort.
It’s one of the reasons I love the lingerie industry. People in this business know the work is not just about making the cash register ring. Lingerie professionals provide a service that engages with the emotions of women when they are, quite literally, stripped bare. When done right, it’s an inherently nurturing act.
Sometimes we feel helpless, whether it’s in the face of illness – ours or someone else’s – or in the act of baring our bodies in a fitting room. Being women who cultivate a supportive environment in those moments understand how empowering nurturing can be. Nurturing is small moments of personal engagement that create big impact, and even the smallest acts can create real and lasting change.
