Finding positivity

“I have been doing good and going the way my doctor wants it … what you have to be doing is be strong, be and think positive, and take it day by day.”

This was written in a thank you card to our church last year by Lacey Kinser. Lacey lost her battle with breast cancer last week, and I thought of this card she had sent and how positive it was, despite what she was going through.

If you shopped at Little Bitterroot in Thompson Falls, you probably met Lacey. She always greeted customers with a smile and was a hard worker. She loved the Blue Hawks, the MSU Bobcats, and the New York Giants.

Each week after Lacey would have a doctor appointment, she would come in and show me how her hair was growing back or give me the report from her doctor. She would ask me to tell my mom and my church members. Her update would always include that she was doing good and staying positive and taking it day by day.

Lacey was a fighter, but more importantly she was a rainbow rising from a dark cloud. Here is someone who was going through cancer treatments, and she still was moving forward and just as positive as she was in high school.

We all have bad days, and we all know grumpy people. We also all know those positive people who when we’re having a bad day, can put a smile on anyone’s face. Lacey was one of those positive individuals.

When I heard that Lacey passed, my first thought was “cancer sucks.” My next thought was about all the positive conversations I had with Lacey during her battle. Moments like these put the little things into perspective and are a good reminder to keep living like Lacey did, with a smile on our faces and treating each day as the gift that it is.

— Annie Wooden