Some of us who attended BlogherCon 2006 were lucky enough to meet calendar girl, Sue Richards in person. Some of us were incredibly lucky because we got to see the 2007 Breasts of Canada Calendar in the flesh, so to speak. Some of us must have pleased some god or goddess somewhere because Sue Richards made us breast ambassadors and gave us free calendars. I am a breast ambassador.

I did get a free calendar but that isn't really what makes me a breast ambassador. I'm a breast ambassador because breasts are a big deal and I want to make sure my daughters understand just what a big deal they are.

Big deal number one - Women have to stop hating their breasts or being ashamed of their breasts or embarrassed by their breasts. We need to stop apologizing for having large ones or small ones or nursing ones or non-nursing ones or scarred ones or sagging ones.

Big deal number two - We also need to make sure we aren't giving men, other women and the media the power to use our breasts against us or against other women.

Big deal number three - We need to stop letting the media (and charities) scare us about breast cancer. Yes, women get breast cancer. Yes, some of them do die from breast cancer. Most do not die. Yet we, as a gender, are more frightened of a cancer that probably isn't going to kill us than we are of a cancer or illness that probably will. We're terrified of chemo or masectomy, lumpectomy and even the mamogram. Some of us are even afraid to do a self exam because we might find a lump and then what... I don't think most of us are really afraid of dying from breast cancer. I think most of us are afraid that may lose our breasts or have disfigured breasts.

Body image. It all comes back to body image, every bit of it. Our hatred of our bodies. Our fear of our bodies and other women's bodies. The way men treat us, the way women treat us, the way we're portrayed by the media. The breast cancer organizations and the corporations "supporting" the cause. It all comes down to body image.

The Breasts of Canada Calendar - that's about body image too. But it's about positive, healthy body images. It is about finding personal power in accepting and appreciating and caring for our breasts.

I am a breast ambassador and I want my daughters to be breast ambassadors too. If they can love, appreciate and respect their breasts - and the breasts of other women - I think they'll be able to handle anything life throws at them.

~Denise
Daily Dose of Denise and Fast Times @ Homeschool High

Image Credit: Breasts of Canada Calendar 2007