Sharing is always good!

I caught this video (see below) on facebook — which is actually a good thing, considering that is one of the goals — get the word out. And a bad thing because typically, I ignore videos posted there since there are so very many.

This one is different. This is the David Cornfield Melanoma Fund — a charity based in Canada. I am not going to try and tell the story myself, since it is best told by those who lived it. You can find it here.

Take the time to watch it. I know I have thought of skin cancer much in the way described in the video — something that can be cured in a simple office procedure. This makes a very simple case for that not being the exact truth.

When I found it on facebook, the title of the video was simply “Dear 16-year-old me”. I assumed it was another video simply talking about the things you would tell yourself if you could go back in time. I was right to a degree– but this video focuses on Melanoma and how something so very dangerous can be cast aside without thought.

What does this have to do with parenting? A daddy blog? Well, one of the things we can easily overlook as parents is our own health. Time is always pressed and we put things off with the best intentions of getting them done. Taking care of yourself is not selfish or unmanly — it’s responsible.

My son is too young to watch this video (he is 2.9), but it does prove the importance of sun block and sunburns. I grew up on a farm — being in the sun was a fact of life as were sunburns. Watching this video was an eyeopener and I know increased my own awareness.

I will also hug my son just a little bit longer.

Sharing is always good!