Segment Producer, Host

Dar Finkelstein

When Dar Finkelstein was diagnosed with Metastatic Breast Cancer, she faced the news the way she faced everything: head-on and thinking of others. Disheartened to find no local support group for those living with metastatic breast cancer, she simply started one herself, calling it The Charlotte Metsters. Her very first meeting was just she and one other person. Through her dedication and love, that small gathering grew into something far greater — and The Charlotte Metsters are now a proud part of Charlotte Breast Friends in Charlotte, NC.

Dar was also a host, writer, and producer of “Dash of Joy,” an Our MBC Life monthly segment. In these segments Dar talked about her search for Joy in the middle of a life filled with doctors, shots, pills and scans. She also offered some simple practices she has put in place to keep her focus on the feeling of Joy. Dar was a professional clown and ran not just one, but two Facebook groups devoted to this very subject: Making Our Best MBC Life and Choose to Live With Joy.

Outside of her advocacy in the MBC community, Dar spent many years as the Office Manager of Summit Eye Care in Gastonia, NC, where her warmth and steady hand made everyone who walked through the door feel at ease. But it was as Jelly the Clown that so many came to know her truest self — generous, joyful, and endlessly devoted to bringing light into the lives of others.

Darylene Rae Finkelstein from Clarion Pa — known to her family as Dar, and to countless children and hearts as Jelly the Clown — passed away on April 12th at the age of 72. She was the kind of person who believed that every moment was an opportunity to make someone smile, and she lived that belief every single day.

Featured
TJT with Dar #4: Finding the Joy in Celebrations
TJT with Dar #4: Finding the Joy in Celebrations

Celebrations of any kind can be tricky when living with MBC. On today's Think Joy Thursday Episode we will reflect on how we love them, how we dread them and how we can experience joyful celebrations no matter where our lives are at the moment.

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TJT with Dar #3: Gratitude and it’s Importance in Living a Joyful Life
TJT with Dar #3: Gratitude and it’s Importance in Living a Joyful Life

With the holiday season fast approaching, it is a great time to talk about gratitude and how important it is to have a joyful life. Making gratitude a part of your life, just like breathing, is such a huge help if you are searching for joy. But you can't just conjure up a life lived in gratitude. - unlike being thankful, which exists in the mind, gratitude is an appreciation that comes from the heart. It has to be cultivated and practiced. Today's #ThinkJoyThursday explores ways to do this and even offers some helpful hints to make joy a habit in your life.

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TJT with Dar #2: What’s Perspective Got to Do With It?
TJT with Dar #2: What’s Perspective Got to Do With It?

On this episode of #ThinkJoyThursday, we will be exploring the relationship between perspective and joy. Choosing the way you look at the world is a major key in having a joyful life. You can learn that it is possible to hold joy and sorrow in the same hand by using perspective. It’s not always easy to do this, so we will discuss ways to incorporate perspective into your life, as well as some tips and tricks to make it become your go-to tool when confronted with difficult situations.

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TJT with Dar #1: The Difference Between Joy and Happiness
TJT with Dar #1: The Difference Between Joy and Happiness

On this episode of Think Joy Thursday, we will be exploring the difference between happiness and joy. We will share some scientific research that has been done to determine if we are pre-disposed to being joyful and will delve into ways to help you spot true joy. We will explore how to have joy even if you are experiencing difficult life circumstances by sharing ways to find joy when confronted with both the big and small challenges of life.

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November Trailblazer and A Dash of Joy
November Trailblazer and A Dash of Joy

The Season of Giving is upon us. Purely by chance, we may be starting a new tradition here on the Trailblazer series - guests bearing gifts. This gift will be symbolically unwrapped during this interview with this month’s Trailblazer - national nonprofit United for HER and Susan Weldon, Founder and CEO.

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Trailblazers of Charlotte
Trailblazers of Charlotte

We begin the Season 3 Trailblazers with a twist. We’re taking Trailblazer on the Road! Our first stop will be the wonderfully, philanthropic city of Charlotte, NC. Join us as we speak with representatives of two truly grassroots organizations, dedicated to supporting the Charlotte breast cancer community in two very different ways. Interestingly enough, both organizations were started by women living with Metastatic Breast Cancer.

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A Dash of Joy Summer Bonus
A Dash of Joy Summer Bonus

Ready for some Joy? It’s a summer episode full of it!! Come along for this joyful journey.

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Twisted Pink and a Dash of Joy
Twisted Pink and a Dash of Joy

We are ending season 2 on a positive note with a dash of joy from Dar Finkelstein and a conversation with our Trailblazer of the Month Caroline Johnson, founder of Kentucky-based non-profit organization Twisted Pink whose sole mission is to raise funds for MBC. Even though there is still no cure, our odds of getting to a cure through better funded research and science are improving because of the contributions of allies like Caroline Johnson.

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Project Life and A Dash of Joy
Project Life and A Dash of Joy

“It is very important for us who are living with MBC to be able to go to a place where we know it’s safe to just be who we are.” This month’s Trailblazer is Project Life, a virtual wellness house that recently set up residence in cyberspace. The co-hosts Victoria Goldberg and Dar Finkelstein speak with the founder and the CEO of Project Life Leslie Glenn and its COO Jackie Seiner about the origin of the project, MBC wellness and survivorship.

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April Trailblazer & Dash of Joy
April Trailblazer & Dash of Joy

Welcome to the Episode 2 of the Trailblazer series. Have you ever asked yourself if Wonder Woman was real? Ask no more. She lives and her name is Jamil Rivers. She is also our Trailblazer of the Month. Jamil was diagnosed with MBC at age 39. She is a mother of three, a caregiver, a full-time CEO of a non-profit organization , the board president of METAvivor and if that’s not enough, she has recently embarked on a new venture—The Chrysalis Initiative, a project dedicated to eliminating disparities in outcomes for Black women with breast cancer.  Also in this episode is a Dash of Joy from Our MBC Life’s own Dar Finkelstein. Dar is committed to living a life of joy and she shows us all how to do it. An episode full or hope, inspiration and joy.

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Trailblazer and Dash of Joy
Trailblazer and Dash of Joy

Our first season 2 trailblazer focuses on the patient - providing them with free services that enable them to focus on healing and time with their families. Through their Thriver Fund, 305 Pink Pack also provides dedicated to support to those living with metastatic breast cancer. Meet Rosemary Carrera of 305 Pink Pack and come south with us to Miami. Also in this episode is a Dash of Joy from Our MBC Life’s own Dar Finkelstein. Dar is committed to living a life of joy and she shows us all how to do it. An episode full or hope, inspiration and joy.

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A Dash of Joy
A Dash of Joy

Meet Dar Finkelstein, the new team member of this podcast and the future host of a monthly segment “A Dash of Joy.” It will air along with our Trailblazer series on the last Friday of each month. All of us need a dash of joy in our lives. Dar is a professional clown and runs not just one, but two Facebook groups devoted to this very subject: She knows of what she speaks.

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Hosted, Produced, Participated In…