Gratitude for My Body: A Gentle Shower Ritual After Breast Cancer
- Nov 18
- 3 min read
By Karin Del Maestro
After my double mastectomy, stepping into the shower became one of the hardest moments of my day. The mirror felt like an enemy, the reflection, someone I didn’t recognize anymore. I rushed through, physically and mentally numb, unsure how to relate to a body that no longer looked or felt like mine.
One morning, I decided to try something different. I turned the water a little warmer, took a deep breath, and whispered a simple word with my hand gently placed on the footprints where my breasts once lay: “Thank you.”
At first, it felt awkward. But then another came: “Thank you, arms, for holding my loved ones.”
“Thank you, legs, for carrying me through another day.”
“Thank you, scars, for reminding me that healing is happening.”
That small shift changed everything. Gratitude softened what grief and breast cancer had hardened. My shower stopped being a place of avoidance and became a place of reconnection.
Science now confirms what my heart already knew, gratitude changes the body. When we express appreciation, our nervous system relaxes. Stress hormones lower. Our breathing deepens. The body feels safe again. And safety, I’ve learned, is where real healing and lifelong recovery begins.
But here’s something I want every survivor to know: gratitude doesn’t erase the hard days.
Some mornings, I’m deeply grateful to be alive and still having a hard day. Both can exist at once. Gratitude isn’t about pretending everything is fine, it’s about allowing truth and tenderness to share the same space. It’s saying, “Even when this is hard, I can still be thankful.” The healing happens in that space of honesty, where we can whisper “thank you”even as the tears fall.
Over time, this daily practice became my quiet ritual of renewal. The shower turned into sacred space, where I could release what no longer served me and come home to the woman I was becoming.
Gratitude didn’t erase the scars, but it helped me see them differently: not as reminders of loss, but as proof of strength, courage, resilience and survival.
Now, as I guide other breast cancer survivors inside my program, Thrivership School, I often encourage them to start small, just one moment of gratitude a day. Maybe it’s in the shower, walking the dog, or sipping morning tea. Gratitude doesn’t need to be grand to be powerful. It’s the practice of noticing what’s still good, even in the midst of change, that begins to rebuild trust with our bodies.
Because gratitude isn’t about pretending everything is perfect, it’s about acknowledging that, even in the hardest seasons, something inside us continues to grow, mend, and move toward the light.
These days, when the water hits my shoulders, I smile. I trace the path of each droplet and whisper my thanks. The woman looking back in the mirror may not be the same as before, but she’s still me. Softer. Wiser. Grateful.
If you’re reading this and struggling to reconnect with your own body, try this: the next time you’re in the shower, pause for a moment and say thank you.
Just once. See how it feels. Let the warmth remind you that your body has never stopped showing up for you. Sometimes, that’s all the gratitude it needs.
About the Author
Karin Del Maestro, Certified Health Coach, is the creator of Thrivership School, a trauma-informed group coaching program that helps breast cancer survivors restore energy, rebuild identity, and reconnect with their bodies. A survivor herself, Karin blends science-backed rituals with heartfelt gratitude practices that nurture the mind-body connection with ease and grace, guiding women to move from merely surviving to truly thriving.
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