I spent the better part of this past weekend attending Relay For Life University. It was held in Spartanburg and was an amazing weekend. The theme for this year's Relay is Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back. I attended classes on a wide variety of subjects regarding the American Cancer Society & the Relay for Life. In one session, the speaker asked why we participated in RLF and when we first began even thinking about helping find a cure for cancer. I didn't have to think long because this thief has been a part of my life since I was 4 years old. It was then that this horrible disease claimed the life of my dad. My younger sister & I spent the next 12 years trying to grow up in very unfortunate circumstances. I hated cancer. I can remember my mom telling people that my dad had died from cancer. I was too young to know what it meant, but I knew that I hated it and for many years blamed the hardships that we endured on "Cancer". As I grew older this disease was explained to me as best as I could understand it. The toll that it took on my dad was almost too much for me to understand. But I began to know that cancer was something that I had all rights to hate. Working in the medical field for the past 25+ years has given me a new hatred for this disease. And then this thief once again crept into my life and snatched my mom right from my loving grasp. It has also tried to steal away many of my other loved ones, but they have had the tools, drive and fortitude to conquer this disease. My sister will see her oncologist this week in hopes of being released with a clean bill of health knowing that she too has taken on this disease and won. It excites me and thrills my heart to know that the funds that I have helped raise have gone to research to help fight this disease. It is only through research and the grace of God that this disease can be totally eradicated. How can any of us do nothing? I Celebrate those who have fought and won. I will Remember those who were stolen and I will do all that I can to Fight Back. I never want to be a " If I had of". I never want to look back and wish that I had done more. If my daughters call me and say " Mom, I have cancer. I am going to get my cure and I will talk to you later." ,I want it to be that simple. I don't want to be sitting around at 75 and get that call and regret that I did nothing when I had the chance to do so much. I want to do all that I can NOW. If you are not involved in your local Relay for Life, please log onto www.cancer.org and find the local event in your area. We need you. Your children and grandchildren need you and they need you NOW.
Joined: 2007-10-28