The story behind our mission

I’ve been a bit quiet on social media lately. The truth is that another good friend has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. I know that I’m not alone – most people at this point know someone that has been affected by cancer. It brings up a lot of old feelings. I remember when my best friend found a lump in her breast on the night of our 25th birthday. We nicknamed it Templeton. We knew that her positive attitude and youth would make a difference. She would beat it, of course! I miss that naiveté. She did beat the cancer that time. She got 5 more years, almost to the day, before it reared its’ head again.

This diagnosis also brings up frustration. This particular friend who was just
diagnosed? She eats so healthy! She only shops organic! She does not feed her body the ingredients that cancer feeds on. She did all of the alternative
therapies that would keep her body strong. She made her body so healthy that cancer could not possibly grow it in. But somehow it is growing . . . it is
thriving. That really ticks me off.

When people ask why I started this business, I talk about spreading the word about how easy cloth is these days. I talk about environmental impact. I talk about chemical exposure. I do not tell them that I had a tumor the size of a grapefruit removed from inside my ovary when I was 22 years old. Thank goodness it was benign. I do not tell them that I lost my best friend in the entire world at 30 years old. Her cancer had come back & metastasized. She was gone in 20 days. No amount of youth or strength or positive attitude had a chance.

When you go through things like this, you realize how little control you have.
This work that I have been doing these past few years demonstrates how I’ve been trying to get that control back. I suppose it’s human instinct. I know it makes a difference. I know it’s important that our babies are not exposed to nasty chemicals. I know that the education is a key factor. Can I really protect myself AND everyone I know and love AND all of those other amazing people that I haven’t even met yet? I suppose not, but we have to start somewhere.

I am so thankful for my Tinkle Belle tribe – our families that we serve, our team and our supporters. It’s good work & it couldn’t happen without each of us playing our role. Sometimes I need to take the time to feel frustrated and angry. In the end, though, these stories need to continue to give us the power to move forward. We are working towards a better future for the next
generation. We are all making a difference.