Today is the anniversary of my Mom's birthday. The World Change Coalition's logo is my Mom's fingerprint. When I look at that logo, I don't just see our brand symbol, I see my Mom.
That swirling pattern of lines isn't a designer's creation or a stock image. It's her actual fingerprint, the unique mark she left on this world. And just like how no two fingerprints are alike, there was no one quite like my Mom.
More Than Ink on Paper
When Mom was first diagnosed with breast cancer, I was around three years old. Too young to barely remember but it was not long before I learned the gravity of those words. I was old enough to sense that something had changed. Over the next 22 years, that "something" would reshape our lives in ways I couldn't have imagined.
Through countless doctor appointments, treatments, and hospital stays, I watched her maintain a quiet dignity and deep strength that still leaves me in awe. Even on her hardest days, when the chemo left her exhausted and losing her hair or when she received news of another recurrence, she somehow found the strength to ask how my day went or remind me to finish my homework.
That's the thing about fingerprints. They're formed long before we're born, these tiny ridges and loops that stay with us through everything. Just like Mom's compassion and courage stayed constant through every trial she faced.
The Marks We Leave Behind
Scientists say our fingerprints help us grip things better, tiny friction ridges that allow us to hold onto objects more securely. How fitting that Mom’s fingerprint represents our company. Because she was always my anchor, the person who helped me hold on when life got slippery.
In November 2015, when we lost her after her long battle with metastatic breast cancer, I made a promise at her bedside. I would find a way to carry her spirit forward. To create something meaningful that would help others facing similar battles.
That promise became the World Change Coalition and our first product, Cathy's Jeans. And it felt right that her fingerprint would become our symbol.
Invisible Impressions
It's strange to think about all the surfaces Mom's fingerprints touched over her lifetime. The books she read. The steering wheel as she drove me to school. The water glasses she filled during our heart-to-heart talks when I was a teenager. The hospital and treatment facility paperwork she signed, again and again.
Most of those marks have long since faded away. But some impressions don't need to be visible to be permanent.
I remember watching her interact with nurses during her treatments. How she always remembered their names, asked about their families. Even while fighting for her own life, she left fingerprints on their hearts through simple kindness.
That's what I hope our company does. Yes, we make comfortable jeans with functional pockets for women going through cancer treatment. But beyond the practical, I hope we leave that same kind of impression, that of one of compassion, dignity, and genuine care.
A Continuous Pattern
If you look closely at a fingerprint, you'll notice it's not just random lines. There's a pattern there, composed of loops and whorls that connect and flow into each other. I see that as a reminder that Mom's journey continues through this work.
Every pair of jeans we sell, with at least 15% of profits going to cancer support groups, extends that pattern. Every woman who finds a bit more comfort and dignity during her treatment adds another loop to the design. Every wig provided through our donations continues the impression Mom made.
Her fingerprint reminds me daily that we're not just selling clothes. We're continuing a pattern of care that she started long ago.
The Touch That Remains
Sometimes, late at night when I'm working on our next initiative, I find myself tracing the lines of our logo. In those moments, it almost feels like holding her hand again connecting with her across the divide that separates us now.
That's the power of a fingerprint. It's uniquely, unmistakably hers. A scientific identification, yes, but also something deeply personal and intimate.
Mom may have left this world, but her fingerprint remains on our logo, on our mission, and most indelibly, on my heart. Through Cathy's Jeans and the World Change Coalition, I hope to ensure those her fingerprints continue to touch lives for years to come.
Thank you for following my blog and the World Change Coalition.
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