Fountain Hills resident Sami Jack associates herself with the color purple.

She uses the color as a way to market her local business, Sami Fine Jewelry.

But while purple is the color most people think of when they think of Sami and the store, she also identifies closely with pink, the color of breast cancer awareness. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Jack is a breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed in 1998 and endured more than two years of treatment, surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Throughout that ordeal, she continued to run her store, and ultimately asked her daughter, Stephenie to come help her with the business.

“At 52 years old, I started all over,” Jack said. “I divorced my husband, I battled cancer and decided I would more than survive the disease and these other things going on in my life.”

Describing herself as “optimistic to a fault,” she credits her attitude with helping her overcome all the obstacles and enjoy her life.

“It has been a wonderful ride,” she said.

Jack is not as involved in breast cancer awareness events as she was in the early years after her diagnosis. She does, however, make herself available to talk to others who might be going through the illness.

“I will always be there to talk to someone,” she said. “The support from others helps you get through it. It certainly helped me when I was recovering. I like to help others.”

Jack is known for her helping manner. She has contributed in so many ways to the community, providing merchandise for fundraisers, a kind word for someone who needs it and always a smile.

“I really believe that smiling when you feel like crying makes a huge difference in your healing,” she said. ”Fake it till you make it, I say.”

Jack is philosophical about surviving cancer, but she is practical about it as well. Her mother was a breast cancer survivor, and she and Stephenie have had serious conversations about the risks her daughter might develop it.

“Stephenie has her mammograms regularly.” Jack said. “She is younger than the recommended age for screening, but she is considered high risk. She has her mammograms, and she encourages others to have them, as well.”

Jack said she has experienced a lot of illness since her cancer diagnosis, but she has no intention of slowing down or giving up.

“My life has been worth living,” she said. “There is so much to see and do. I welcomed the new millennium cancer free, and I remain cancer free.”

Jack shares her wisdom that has come with her survival in one simple sentence:

“Thoughts become things, so make them good ones.”

Words to live by.