JOPLIN, Mo. — Mary Cawlfield will understand if some folks don’t get too worked up for Freeman Health System’s upcoming “I Wear Pink for My Co-workers” breast cancer awareness parade.

The thing is, Mary didn’t get too worked up for last year’s parade. When I asked Mary the other day what the parade meant to her last year, she gave a pretty honest answer.

“Nothing, probably,” she said.

Of course, Mary qualified that answer a bit.

“You always feel for other people,” she said. “But until you deal with (cancer) you think, ‘It’s not about me; it’s for other people.’”

But that was last year’s parade. This year, Mary’s parade perspective has changed. On Oct. 19, 2009, a week or so after last year’s parade, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. To say the news was unsettling for the then-36-year-old mother of two would be somewhat of an understatement.

“The first thought that runs through your head is, ‘Am I going to die?’” Mary said.

It pretty much goes without saying, but the next several months were tough on Mary, her husband and her two children. But she said the toughest period by far was the two weeks she had to wait until she received a definitive diagnosis of her cancer, a recommended course of treatment and an honest prognosis.

“You know nothing other than that you have cancer,” she said. “You just have to wait. Those two weeks seemed like forever.”

What Mary eventually found out was that her cancer was detected early, and that she had an excellent prognosis. She went through seven weeks of radiation and a surgery, and now doctors say she is cancer-free.

Mary’s experience has made her more willing to reach out to other folks. It has made her want to encourage people to take care of themselves. Her cancer was detected during a monthly self-examination. At 36, Mary was a bit under the age typically associated with breast cancer, but breast cancer doesn’t much follow strict age criteria. That’s why self-examinations are so important, she said. She is convinced that the fact that she detected a lump early and the fact that she saw two doctors before being diagnosed more than likely helped save her life.

Mary thinks people should know that. She also thinks people dealing with cancer should know that they are not alone. And she thinks family members of people dealing with cancer should know that they aren’t alone, either.

That’s why the second annual breast cancer awareness parade means something more to her this year than it might have last year. See, the parade isn’t a fundraising vehicle; it’s an awareness vehicle. It’s a chance for folks to take a minute and let other folks who are having a tough time know that someone is thinking about them. Think of the parade as a giant group hug.

The parade specifics are pretty simple. It’s open to anyone who would like to show support for those who are battling or have battled cancer. Participants are encouraged to form teams to walk in the parade. Those teams may, but don’t have to, develop individual themes and dress up in theme-related costumes.

The parade gets under way at noon on Oct. 8 at 34th Street and McIntosh Circle Drive. The parade will run from one end of McIntosh to the other. While the parade is run under the auspices (that’s a hard word for me to say, by the way) of Freeman Health System, it is open to anyone. To enter a team in the parade or for more information, people may contact Linda Conrow at 417-347-4623.

It’s been a long, tough and emotional year for Mary. But she knows there are so many more people out there who have had or are having much tougher years than she did. So not too long ago, she wrote a prayer for those people, and next Friday she will read the prayer to kick off the parade. I asked Mary for a copy of the prayer, and she was kind enough to share it with me so that I could share it with you.

Dear Lord,

Please be with each of us today, whether we are a survivor or currently fighting this courageous battle. And be with all of the family and friends who are here today cheering each of us along. Please Lord, also be with those of us who have lost a loved one to this disease. If anyone here is feeling fear or anxiety due to cancer or any other issue, please God, help ease their fears and give them peace. Please give each of us the strength to continue on to fight this battle and encourage us not to lose hope.

In your name we pray, Amen.