Whether you are jetting out of town for Memorial Day weekend or staying put, summer and vacation are in the air. In New Jersey, it’s the opening of the Jersey Shore with families flocking to the beach with their umbrellas and beach chairs. Others might be planning hikes or time on a lake. Even those staying put might be taking advantage of the longer weekend for a staycation.

Want to find a sustainable way to contribute to the young adult cancer community? Look no further than The Greenhouse, a collection of folks invested in the care of young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers that often go unaddressed in healthcare systems.

We love celebrating Pride and our LGBTQIA+ community members! Be sure to snag your own piece of limited edition merch to show the world that you are prickly and proud. But hurry- these products are just here until the end of June!

There’s something in the air, and it’s making me slow down. It’s not just my normal fatigue from treatment, or the sunshine lulling me into a sleepy state of mind. It’s not just capitalism or an absurd pollen count either. I think I’m being challenged in a big way to slow down. There’s something about being on the precipice of summer here on the East Coast that nudges me to cut my to-do list in half, go easy on the expectations I level against myself. All of today’s suggestions come from a place of pause, and I invite you to join me on that quest.

In the young adult cancer space, your voice matters. We want to highlight some of these opportunities for you to weigh in on research that makes an impact. Want to share your voice to help others? Check out the list below!

Meet our next expert for Act a Cactus: Catherine Benedict, PhD, to discuss family building!

The experience of young adult cancer can be extremely isolating. There’s the feeling of being the youngest on the infusion floor, or hearing from family and friends that you’re “too young” to have cancer. All of these feelings were further complicated by the onset of COVID-19, when in-person support groups ceased meeting and many immunocompromised patients were forced to stay home in order to stay safe. Even now, as the world recalibrates to the reality of COVID-19, the young adult cancer community is still as vulnerable as ever. That’s where Cactus Cancer Society comes in.

The unofficial poet laureate of People With Feelings, Mary Oliver, has a poem that contains the lines: “Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.” Grief is a complicated thing. You don’t ever really stop grieving the things you’ve lost, you just move to a different place with them. Some days seem more straightforward than others, others your sadness and anger and longing can fill you from your head to your toes. This weekend, I have suggestions about comfort: comfort food, mental health, and a making a small difference with citrus.

We hear you: you love the look of plants but have a terrible time remembering when to water them. Get around this common challenge with our June Art Workshop as we make Paper Spider Plants! Bring some green into your home and keep your house pet-friendly with this awesome craft.

We love celebrating Pride here are at Cactus Cancer Society, and we've got an Art Workshop just for our LQBTQIA+ community members! Join us as we craft a rainbow heart chain, perfect for showing off your pride in your room, on a door, or anywhere else you'd like a simple and colorful piece of original art!