The words “breast cancer” leave a pink aftertaste.

When this society thinks about breast cancer, new pink merchandise, those cute pink ribbon shaped pinterest projects, and seeing all your cute pinked out friends at Race for the Cure comes to mind.

Pink is cute. It is the flush of one’s cheek, the shade of roses, the feeling of love, the taste of sweetness...and now the face of breast cancer?

However, these survivors and sufferers do not feel pink.

It is as though society has bleached the red of the women suffering and allowed it to be an appropriate shade of pink, proving that women are supposed to be pretty even through suffrage and that they are in a situation that isn’t too threatening, right? I mean, it is just breast cancer, right?

See for me, the women who have encountered the scary monster that is breast cancer are not pink. They are the bold blue rivers of tears that they hold back to show strength for their loved ones. They are an urgent red that refuses to be hidden, exemplifying the fact that they are fighting for their lives. They are a screaming shade of black terror that they have to swim through every day whether they like it or not. They are a gold pillar of strength when they have to open up their bodies to be seen, touched, and prodded by strangers. They are a rich and royal purple that tells others to be unconventionally beautiful when they walk pridefully around without a hair on their head.

They are heros. These women are heros. Sadly society has cloaked them in a distasteful pink cape and handed them pink kitchenware to fight the not-so-pink disease. As they fly through the air, open our hearts and touch our lives this breast cancer awareness month I hope that we can look past the pink and see the bold humans that they are.

Instead of supporting breast cancer research by pinking yourself out this fall, here are some links to a few great women's’ stories that allow you to help them by donating money.

https://www.gofundme.com/2aw7axq9

https://www.gofundme.com/ColleenHammond

https://www.gofundme.com/charmainegapuz

https://www.gofundme.com/reedercancerfund