I just wanted to celebrate with everyone today my wife Sharon’s 9th anniversary as a breast cancer survivor. It seems like yesterday when I was sitting next to her when the doctor told her that her tumor was malignant. But here we are, in 2010, and she is healthier and happier than ever. The day is cold, but the heart is warm.  –John Anderson

If you are one of the lucky ones who have seen your wife, sister, mom, daughter, friend, coworker whomp cancer’s butt, and she is doing well five or more years since her initial diagnosis, think about helping out your fellow Stand by Her brother who is in desperate need of your help. All you need to do is sign in to the forums and offer up an ear to listen to their needs – and respond. That’s it. It would mean the world to them, and to all your fellow brothers here at Stand by Her.

The people of Costa Rica have a saying that they’ve trademarked as their national slogan pura vida, the literal translation being ‘‘pure life.’’ But the real meaning of the phrase, according to the Costa Ricans, is that pura vida is a command to live life, every day,‘‘full of life.’’

So  get out into that great, big world and live life to its fullest—today, tomorrow, this week, next week, next month, next year, and for the rest of your and her days. And please share your experiences here, or in the forum on how you are living your own personal pura vida.

John Anderson with Mary, Sharon, Caryl - all survivors

She made it.  Five years later, and she is still cancer free. Five years is the traditional milestone in the medical community that says, in plain and simple terms, that she beat breast cancer and is cured. Your loved one has finally arrived at the pink ball, and it’s time to celebrate. It’s time to do something really big for her.

When John’s wife Sharon hit her fifth anniversary, they decided to take their whole family to Paris and London. The City of Light, aside from maybe Venice (which we went to as well), is the most romantic place in the world. On a night boat cruise down Paris’s Seine river, her face glowed as we passed the Cathedral of Notre Dame, while their boys, Seth and Isaac,  hooted and howled to the people waving to us as we passed under the bridges. Sharon, given her initial diagnosis, was never quite sure if she was going to make the five-year mark. She had friends who never did. Yet here she was, wrapped in her husband’s arms—healthy, happy, and fully healed.

And John was the  most grateful husband in the world.

You can also celebrate with other breast cancer survivors at wonderful events like Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure events held all over the country. Here, John celebrates his good fortune with his wife Sharon (in white hat), his friend Brenda, and his sister Mary (on his left), all healthy, and all breast cancer survivors.