Sally Steenkamp: Stage 4 Breast Cancer.

I want to tell u about living with Cancer. Everyone thinks it’s a death sentence. People want to feel sorry for me. Please don’t!!! It is beyond irritating! For me it has been quite the opposite of a death sentence! It’s been a good old slap in the face to start LIVING!

Since I have been diagnosed with cancer I connect more with my family and friends. I love my children harder and stronger. I respect and love my husband more. I appreciate and love my parents more. I say what I want to say to whoever I want to say it to – with no regrets. I don’t chase money and fabulousness. I don’t waste time with fake people. I LIVE with Cancer. I am certainly not dying with it. My advice to all of you is to start LIVING.

Say sorry to those you have offended. Spend time with ONLY those people who will be there for you in the end. Forget the rest. Don’t chase money. Chase LIFE! Chase real connections with real people. Laugh! Often! Drink wine! Good wine! Eat healthy food! Be active and healthy. You will regret it so much if you don’t get healthy and active before it’s too late! Don’t smoke! Sleep. Day Dream. Travel. Travel A LOT! Travel and spend time with those you love most. Do road trips with your kids. And switch off the car movies! Play the windmill game. Don’t spend time with people who look good on social media or who you feel obliged to see. But rather with real people. People who love u in your PJs. Show Love to your children. Don’t argue with your partner in front of your children. It hurts them deeply. Your kids are the most important people in the world. Teach them manors and show them how to have fun! Teach them how to value living and laughing. Teach them to be passionate about travel, fun, laughter and friends. Don’t moan! Don’t go on and on about the same damn thing that gets u down without changing it. It’s boring for those around you. Rather change whatever the issue is in your life.

Face your issues head on and be brave. Yes I have to get a needle stuck in my arm once every few weeks with poison pouring into my body to kill this damn cancer but I just do it. I do it with friends who are always there to make me laugh thru it. It will not help one iota moaning about it. GIVE! Give generously. Give a lot and often. You get more pleasure out of giving than out of receiving. Take time to understand the people who work for you and their real life situations and try make it better for them. Don’t hoard your wealth – give it to people less fortunate! Pick up litter! Love. Love hard. Get hurt. Love often. Show love. Say thank you! Forgive the plonkers you meet along life’s journey. They are fighting their own battles. When I last asked my beautiful Oncologist when I’m going to die, her response was ‘it depends on how you drive’ – so drive safely and wave and smile at the taxis. Their life is way harder than yours. I promise!

Don’t wait to be told you are dying to start living! LIVE. My life looks way more like living to me at the moment than dying.  Hugs and thanks to all of u who show me so much damn love. Know you all mean the absolute world to me.

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