My Despair, My Hope

By Mirvia Sol Eckert

October 13th, 2022

Acrylic paint on board My story isn’t unique but, it is my story and I hope it will help you realize that you can survive this disease and live a normal life. I’ve always been the type of person who sees the glass half-full, but in the face of cancer, the emotional tug of war seems endless. There is despair, after learning I have cancer. There is hope, knowing I will fight and do whatever is necessary to defeat this. There is despair, because so much is unknown, so much is uncertain. But, there is hope in the embrace of my family and friends, whose love and support gives me strength. Yet, now there is only hope. No other word encompasses all that I feel today. As in my painting I grabbed my hair with my right hand and the other to my chest. The background in my painting you see a "V" which is symbolic for victorious. The colors show you the emotional pain I was in and then the hope I had felt after the treatments. I am now a breast cancer survivor. And my painting says it all!