Dedicated to Those We’ve Lost

“Our lives are better left to chance, I could have missed the pain, but I’d
have had to miss the dance” — Garth Brooks, The Dance

Last year as we were putting together our October issue of RWM,
we decided to start a new column called “In Her Own Words.” This
is where local woman can talk about personal life experiences, both good
and bad, to our audience. We felt that it was a perfect time to launch the
column, and we also knew the perfect person to write our very first one — Eve Strella-Ribson.

Eve was a friend of the magazine from the very start, and we had been talking to her about her new book Moments of Truth, Gifts of Love which was soon to be published.  When we approached Eve about writing the piece, she was excited to tell her story…her journey.  Her column was entitled “ I Want My Life Back” in which she provided a very frank and honest account of her struggles and triumphs over the disease that had become her life and how she didn’t want it to define her.

We mention all of this because in July, Eve Strella-Ribson finally lost her long battle with cancer. Through it all, Eve was the embodiment of bravery, courage and a genuine love for life.  No matter how often we spoke to Eve she always had a positive attitude and great sense of humor, even when she had just undergone a round of chemo or was sick for the past week from all of its side effects.  Eve was not just a friend to us, but a true inspiration  to everyone that crossed her path. She will be truly missed.

This issue is filled with many stories like Eve’s. Filled with strength and inspiration, and of women who have either overcome their struggle with this terrible disease, or are still on their journey. In this edition, we also feature stories about new technology that helps in early detection, such as EWBC’s 3D Mammography which provides a clearer image of the breast for better diagnosis.

We dedicate this issue to Eve Strella-Ribson, Nora Bredes and all of the other spectacular local women who have lost their brave battles with Cancer in the past year.  Let’s all take a moment to remember them and the effect they had on our lives.

In this issue, we are also featuring our brand new addition to the family, RWM’s Petpalooza Extra. This section is dedicated to our furry and feathered friends alike. We will run this special section 6x per year within the pages of Rochester Woman Magazine. This month’s issue features cat lover,  WHAM’s Beth Adams on the inaugural cover. We are also excited to have an exclusive interview with Cesar Millan, National Geographic’s The Dog Whisperer. Cesar has another passion besides dogs…read the story to find out what it is. Plus, you can meet Layla, the adorable Newfoundland puppy that won our Facebook photo contest.

So, as the days get shorter, and the leaves begin to turn, let’s all go out and enjoy life and the the beautiful fall days ahead.