Episode 30: When You See Me Wearing a Pink Ribbon This Month ... Here's Why💞

(Recorded 10-5-25)Throughout my life, I've been called a lot of things. Michael. Mike. Cohen. Husband. Dad. Coach Mike. But one person, and one person only, was allowed to call me Mikey. That was my mother-in-law, Marsha.❤️ Marsha was a party.🥳 She was just so much fun to be around and, from the moment I met her, she always kept me laughing. But, when at the end of 1999 she was diagnosed with cancer, a lot of the laughs stopped. Marsha's cancer started in the breast and, because she ignored the lump she felt and knew was there, it had metastasized all over her body by the time she received a diagnosis. After a nearly three-year battle (she was given 6 months), Marsha left us.💔 As I discuss in this week's Leadership Video, since that time, I have worn my pink ribbon throughout October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I wear it in Marsha's honor and I wear it so people will ask me why I do so. You see, when the conversation starts, I can (and do) suggest that the other person be proactive in self-examinations and in seeking preventative medical care. Leadership takes different forms. Sometimes it involves having a very personal dialogue that may be potentially intrusive or even off-putting. And, while those conversations may be uncomfortable, there are times where circumstances call for them.I miss Marsha every day. I miss her spirit. I miss her smile. I miss her amazing contagious laugh. And, I miss her calling me Mikey. 🩷🩷🩷 As leaders, as friends, as humans, let's work together to ensure that our family, our friends and our colleagues all are doing whatever is necessary to get the care they need. Duane Morris LLP Duane Morris Institute American Cancer Society American Cancer Society GenNow Network of Philadelphia hashtag#breastcancer______________________________________________________Michael S. Cohen is a partner in Duane Morris’ Employment, Labor, Benefits and Immigration Practice Group. He concentrates his practice in the areas of employment law training and counseling. Michael is a nationally-recognized thought leader on workplace culture and human resources issues. He has trained and counseled employers throughout the country and regularly conducts more than 200 trainings each year.Michael Cohen (215) [email protected]://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelscohen12https://www.duanemorris.com/attorneys/michaelscohen.htmlPronouns: he/him