Firm League of Friendship

YORK, PENNSYLVANIA …“enter into a firm league of friendship with each other” is, as I am sure you all remember, from the third Article of the Articles of Confederation of the United States of America. Wait, what? You don’t have ushistory.org as a bookmark or desktop shortcut? Geesh. Well, I will remember all those kinds of things for you. When Vera Bradley retailer Caroline Kimman’s in York, Pennsylvania, called to tell me she was doing an event for breast cancer research and would I be the speaker my heart was screaming "WOULD I ???!!!” Of course I would! As you all know, the redcoats chased the Continental Congress to York in September of 1777 where they spent a full 9 months working on the Articles of Confederation. Fast forward 232 years (almost to the day, I know, cool, right?) to Caroline’s breast cancer fundraiser. There was a wonderful doctor who spoke before I did – she, too, is a breast cancer survivor. She made the observation that while none of us ask to join this group called survivors, we nonetheless are joined as one. There were 2 women who were diagnosed just a few weeks ago, some were survivors for almost 20 years. I thought immediately of the ‘firm league of friendship’ line and how poignant that I was standing here, in this place with these great people. Steeped in history with a future full of hope. God Bless America! (seriously, go re-read our founding documents. Totally worth the time.)

Photo courtesy of susquehannaphoto.com.