Girls With Guts Retreat, 2013

(music playing) I don't know what made me do it but I did a search on Facebook, and that's how I found it. And that's how I got through it and that's how I've made all these friends. It was connecting with people and, having those reminders that I'm not alone. What I found with Girls With Guts is like the middle step of like, how are we getting through this together or like how can we change our perspectives, together. Um, and so that's what it is to me is, just getting through life but not alone. You know there's nothing like being in a room and seeing it and just knowing you're not alone and being inspired by a variety of stories and people of all ages, from everywhere, who are doing all sorts of things, who have kids, who don't have kids, who like have ostomies, who don't have ostomies, and you just all of a sudden like feel like you've fell into your place as opposed to your like you're running around fighting your fight. Um, and I think that's just incredibly, incredibly powerful. It's not only uplifting but it's like, it's makes you feel like proud of it. Like, that sounds so weird but like instead of being ashamed or embarrassed to like, to talk about it it's like, you wanna wear a sweatshirt that's what, like you know what I mean? It's just, it's, it makes you wanna talk about it and be more open about it and then people like ask you like, "Oh what's that?", and you, you want to answer instead of having to be like, ugh like I have this horrible thing. And then like every single post I was just shocked by how beautiful and amazing every single person who wrote about was. And, I think that's why so far I've not had a moment where I was ashamed of it or anything. You're going to end up with lasting friendships. That's how it works when you have a common bond going in. Cause I was originally diagnosed with I was 26 and you know now I'm 43. And what I would have done you know, all those years ago, to've had that kind of support. I mean, this is amazing. I enjoy the fellowship and um, it is like this exclusive club you know? And we all understand each other and support each other. It's just so awesome. We are incredibly thankful for you coming and uh, like I said, for trusting us with your time. We know that you know or those of you who have families and children it's very difficult to get away from them, even though you want to. Um, but sincerely, like thank you guys so much. We love you. Its passion, its, it's heart, it's love it's camaraderie. It's, it's like I said it's everything. "You are tough, it's Girls With Guts".