Dear 16-year-old Me

[ash48]

My daughter showed me this. It's changed her mind about baking in the sun. I thought I'd share it in case you know any teenagers who think it's more important to have a tan than to protect their skin. It's sad in places, but really brings the message home.

Comments

[tiniowien.livejournal.com]

Thank you for sharing this. :)

My family has a history of cancer in various forms (including skin) and this was really, amazingly touching. I have several little moles that I was told at a young age are high-risk and to keep an eye on, and my doc is pretty vigilant when he spots a dark one on my stupidly pale skin and makes sure to check it. But seeing this makes me want to go get re-checked!

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Yeah.. it has the effect doesn't it? I think I need to get mine checked also. I'll go with my daughter who is concerned about a couple she has. I don't think there's a problem, but I'm glad she is thinking about it.

Cancer is a friggin awful disease. I attended a funeral recently for someone it had claimed. I just. It seems like a uphill battle sometimes. But I suppose there are things we can do to help prevent it.

ooh...sorry to get heavy. I know there are good news stories also. :D

[tiniowien.livejournal.com]

No need to apologise at all! After my own diagnosis at the start of the year I was roughly shoved into realising that life is too short to worry about the little things and too awesome not to enjoy every moment. I was told that if I hadn't had my test and the thing was left to grow I'd not have seen next christmas so I wholly approve of you and your girl going to the docs (I made sure my younger cousins all went and had themselves checked out too!) and I'm sure the results will be perfectly fine! *hugs*

[ash48.livejournal.com]

*hugs* So wonderful to hear you got it before it went that far...

And yeah. Life it soooo damn short. Enjoying it is the best we can hope for.

<33

[tiniowien.livejournal.com]

Thank you sweetie. :) It was one helluva lucky chance.

Agreed!

♥