9:36
Magazine
Goes Pink
Special October 2024 Edition
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Editor’s Note
I am excited about this special issue of 9:36 Magazine GOES PINK! Although my life has not been affected by Breast Cancer, I know so many who have experienced some encounter with this disease. The goal of this issue is to not only honor those who have experienced Breast Cancer in some way, but to educate others by providing facts about this disease that invades the lives of so many families every year. So let’s honor those who did not survive, celebrate those who have survived, and respect those who have taken preventive measures to not be a victim to Breast Cancer! Happy Reading! Dorcas Britford Chief Editor
Photo by DiPhotography
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9:36 MAGAZINE
Contents
EDUCATOR OF THE MONTH Page 6
THE BOSSES OF 9:36 Page9
9:36 MODEL OF THE MONTH Page 15 9:36 ARTIST OF THE MONTH Page 25
EMPOWERED BY PREVENTION: A PREVIVORS JOURNEY Page 27
9:36 CREAM OF THE CROP Page 29
Paula Buffer, Johnetta Davis Knox, and others share their breast cancer journeys. Page 19
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Dorcas Fields Photo credit: Letony Hadnot IG: @differentminddesigns
9:36 Models: Karen Washington and Ge Flanagan Photo credit: Don Mills IG; @dmsignaturephoto
http://thedorcascollection.com IG: thedorcascollectionbydeemoore FB: The Dorcas Collection By Dee Moore
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Love Thyself
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Parental Love: The Sweet and The Strong Our mother and father are the foundation and blueprint for all the relationships we build throughout life. From an early age, we learn primarily through what we see rather than what we hear. As children, we are visual learners, absorbing the world around us long before we fully comprehend language. Even as infants, it is our sight that develops first, allowing us to take in our surroundings before our mobility is activated. In those early moments, long before we can stand, it is the actions of our parents that shape our understanding of love, trust, and relationships.
A mother’s role is to nurture, to pamper, and to coddle. Her love is a reflection of God’s grace—sweet, soft, and comforting. It’s like a warm, savory essence that surrounds us, gently shaping and molding us. Her love is fluorescent, glowing with compassion and tenderness. She shows us how to navigate the world with care, offering validation and emotional security. As our first teacher, a mother guides us not only through her words but through her actions, giving us our first vision of life’s compassion and kindness. A father’s love, on the other hand, brings a different texture to our lives. It is strong and firm, offering structure and discipline. His love can be compared to something hot, spicy, and tangy—full of strengthand sometimes challenging. But it’s this constructive fear that shapes us. Not fear in a harmful way, but the kind that makes us want to do right because we know our father is watching. He instills in us a sense of responsibility, a vision of work ethic, hustle, and strength. A father is the protector, the provider, andthrough his actions, we learn what it means to be accountable and resilient. Together, these two kinds of love—sweet and spicy, comforting and firm—create balance. The nurturing embrace of a mother, combined with the constructive discipline of a father, teaches us how to move through life with both love and purpose. A healthy parental foundation is essential because it provides a complete vision of life. We see how our parents care for each other, how they communicate, how they support the home equally. This duality is crucial—on one side, the nurturing love that assures us we are protected and cherished, and on the other, the structured love that teaches us strength, accountability, and the importance of making the right choices. This balance is vital for our growth. If we receive love from both parents, we experience how love is expressed in different ways—through softness and compassion, and through strength and discipline. The way they look at each other, the way they work together, and the way they create a home become our blueprint for how to love, how to work, and how to live.
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9:36 Magazine is going PINK for Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Join us as we recognize these fighters!
MEZLIE PRINCE MY ROCK, MY CONFIDANT, MY BEST FRIEND There's so much that I can say about my grandmother. She was a God-fearing woman with a great spirit, great sense of humor, and an overall great personality. When you needed an ear to listen (just listen) she was that person. My grandmother was my best friend, and it didn't matter how far I worked from her house, I was coming to see her everyday. She loved sitting out on her porch and she looked for me everyday so that we can do just that. She had a dog named Boo and she loved that dog like it was her youngest child. At one of my grandmother's doctor's appointments we were told that she had breast cancer. This iterally hit me like a fist, but my grandmother took the news and said BUT GOD. I have always said that she was the strongest woman that I've ever known, and that fact remains. In reality, while I was being strong for her, she was being strong for me and the rest of the family. She eventually had to have her left breast removed. After that, I noticed a difference in her. She still tried to remain herself, but I knew my best friend very well. She didn't want to attend church or go anywhere else anymore. That broke my heart. Due to her age, she never had chemo or radiation but she was taking medications for the cancer. She was most definitely a fighter with her cancer battle and life itself. My grandmother was called home on January 6, 2015. Although she didn't pass from breast cancer she left this world a fighter and a woman of God. She was the strength and the root of our family tree. She was a loving mom, grandmother, great-grandmother, auntie, cousin, and my best friend. We love and miss you so much! Until I'm with you again beautiful angel. I LOVE YOU!! PATRICE (HADA) 9:36 magazine |19
Mezlie Prince Photographer Unkown
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DENISE WILLIAMS My life changed in 2015 when the doctor told me I had cancer, and he recommended that I remove both breasts. I’m the mother of four children (three girls and one boy). I had to go home and tell my children and my family what the doctor said. I felt they took the news fairly well but, after surgery my middle daughter struggled with what I was going through. She was angry. I was angry! I was also depressed, and I suffered with anxiety. I closed myself off from people. I felt different, and less than. I was also going through a divorce, so I would think. “Who will want me looking like this?” I eventually started to pray more and be patient. I started spending more time with my children and getting out the house. I decided to live the life God granted me because it could have been worst. I lost my breast, but I have lived to see my children give me five grand boys. I now have a new husband that loves every part of me. Sometimes you have to really lose to win again. Denise Williams Photographer Unknown
PAULA BUFFER
Paula Buffer Photo by: Gazelle Production
In June 2012 (age 42), I was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer in my left breast. I was devastated! In August of that same year, I had a Lumpectomy done. I was told that I wasn't grounded properly during surgery and that resulted in an awful burn on my breast. We had to wait a few weeks for the burn to heal before I could start chemo. Chemo started bi-weekly in October 2012. It usually lasted for 4 hours but I was usually sick from it for 2-3 days. Due to the chemo, I lost all my hair. Following chemo was radiation on Monday-Friday for 15-20 minutes per session. I endured 35 treatments which caused burns on my chest. Between my bald head and my burns, I felt so unattractive. But God is amazing! After all the treatment, I am cancer free! For 6 years, I was required to have 2 mammograms a year and take medications. Now I take no meds and I have mammograms and blood work done once a year. I've been in remission for 12 years now and I'm feeling just fine. I owe it all to GOD! I am a Breast Cancer Survivor!!! 9:36 magazine |20