| Most everyone has an inspirational person in | | | | support and education for women who have, or |
| their life.A teacher, a relative or mentor | | | | have had breast cancer, offers weekend |
| that helps to give direction to us as we | | | | retreats to help promote healing both |
| fumble and negotiate our perilous way through | | | | physically and mentally while learning the |
| life.For me, that person was my sister | | | | sport of fly fishing. The retreats are held |
| Esther.Truth be told, she was more like a | | | | in natural settings and offer counseling, |
| mother to me. Making sure that her little | | | | stress relief, as well as the gentle |
| brother who romped through life with little | | | | excercise that fly fishing offers.Casting For |
| direction, and even fewer rules, had some | | | | Recovery offers these retreats at no cost to |
| form of caring discipline to keep him from | | | | participants. They provide lodging,meals and |
| straying to far from an honest life.Some may | | | | instruction. They have volunteer physical |
| argue that my being a fisherman and writer | | | | therapists, psychotherapists,and professional |
| would make her a complete failure in her | | | | fly fishing instructors on staff. Most of |
| attempts to achieve that goal, but they would | | | | all, they offer dignity and hope.If you are a |
| be wrong in expressing that notion.Cancer is | | | | true fisherman or fisherwoman, then you can |
| a terrible thing.It took my sister from this | | | | certainly understand the value of using any |
| earth at the age of 26. Breast cancer to be | | | | form of fishing as therapy,and it is great to |
| exact.I was 18 at the time, and you just | | | | see a program like this exist to help women |
| might as well have reached into my chest and | | | | get back onto the road of recovery.What can |
| tore my heart out.Cancer at any age is scary, | | | | you do?Go to GIVE.If you have ever had or |
| but to be told at age 24 that your life is in | | | | known a family member or friend who has gone |
| peril can be devastating. My sister handled | | | | through breast cancer, you will know the |
| it with the most dignity, courage and | | | | trauma and fear that comes with it- for all |
| strength that I have ever witnessed. By the | | | | involved. But obviously, for the victim |
| time chemotherapy, breast and lymph node | | | | itself it is life changing at best, and |
| removal,and the spreading to her bones had | | | | devastating at worst.I know it altered my |
| taken it's toll on her, she looked like an | | | | life. Almost everything major I do in my |
| eighty year old women-yet her smile never | | | | life, still comes from my sister's influence. |
| left her soul and she still only thought of | | | | Even my living in Oregon was influenced by a |
| others first. Right up to the planning of her | | | | final trip we made together just before she |
| own funeral.Didn't want anyone else to have | | | | died. Even her last months were spent giving |
| to go through that trouble.Esther was a | | | | me proper direction.In many ways I feel that |
| teacher by trade, and a Saint by virtue. She | | | | I am living two lives.One for myself-and one |
| graduated Magna Cum Laude from college, loved | | | | that was never realized.I recently finished |
| children, yet never realized that joy,having | | | | my first book, The Fish Wrap, which is about |
| found out about the cancer just prior to | | | | the furthest thing I or anybody would have |
| trying for her first child.She never missed a | | | | ever thought would come from my hands. By no |
| birthday or holiday celebration. Esther loved | | | | stretch of the imagination would I even |
| life, was intelligent, responsible, overly | | | | consider myself a professional writer, but |
| caring, and generous.Pretty much everything I | | | | the book was done as a fun project and it was |
| wasn't.Breast cancer diagnosis and treatment | | | | done to honor my sister's inspiration and is |
| was still in it's infancy back in 1974. In | | | | dedicated to her memory.Also, as a dedication |
| fact, at first they told her to go home and | | | | to her memory, I am going to give half the |
| not worry about it, that it probably was just | | | | proceeds from the book to Casting For |
| some fatty cysts.They couldn't have been more | | | | Recovery so that others can do what Esther |
| wrong.What does this have to do with fishing? | | | | never got a chance to do.Recover.Please give |
| What does this have to do with a fishing | | | | to Casting For Recovery.A.J. Klott is a |
| blog?Everything.An organization called | | | | writer of fishing stories and the people that |
| Casting For Recovery, a non-profit group of | | | | surround the fishing world. |