Heres what I just submitted for publication Dear Editor: I was the lucky one. My first Relay I was lucky enough to say that I didn’t know anyone personally affected by cancer. I was simply doing it as a way to bond with my boyfriend’s (now husband’s) family. I didn’t quite know what I was getting myself into. Little did I know it would become a life changing event. It was eye opening. I was in healthcare marketing so I understood the ramifications of cancer, it just didn’t strike me personally so I didn’t have the emotional connection—at least not until I stepped onto that track. When you go to Relay for Life, it doesn’t matter if you have personal connection or not. You’re immediately connected. The stories are real. The people are real. The event is real. You instantly understand how important Relay for Life is and how amazing it is to see a community come together to celebrate, remember and fight back against such a dreaded disease. It wasn’t long before a pretty lame excuse to hang out with my husband’s family became a passion. And as a family, we all became very involved. So why do I relay: I Relay for my husband’s grandmother. Though I never met her, she shaped a family that I love and I would be remiss in thinking that she is a not a part of every one of them. I Relay for my husband’s grandfather whom he shared a name with. Seeing my husband’s name in memoriam on a luminaire bag is never easy, but it is a reminder that life is precious. I Relay for my brother-in-law whose grandmother’s gentle soul couldn’t be hidden by her tough-as-nails exterior when she lost her battle surrounded by her loved ones I Relay for one of my closest friends who has grieved the loss of her own mother and has stood beside her mother-in-law who has already beat breast cancer and is now battling brain cancer. I Relay for my college roommate who self-advocated her healthcare to learn that she had lymphoma. After a stem cell transplant she is now cancer free for one year. I Relay for my brother-in-law whose mother beat lung cancer, only to have her cancer return in the form of a very, rare and incurable cancer. Her battle was valiant, but proved too much. We all miss her dearly. I Relay for member of my River Family. Who in her early 30s discovered a lump in her breast that turned out to be breast cancer. She was a lucky one and beat cancer. And she still rocks her short hair! I Relay for the gentle giant who spent many nights at the Eagle Hotel protecting me. Who would have thought a flook accident would save his life? I Relay for my grandmother’s best friend. She was more than a friend, she was part of the family who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer the day after my son was born. We celebrated her life less than two months later. I Relay for every story that I have heard over the last 12 years that I have been a part of Relay for Life. I Relay to fight for more birthdays and watch year after year as survivors exclaim that they made it one more year. I Relay for the sense of community as you watch strangers and loved ones rally around someone who has been newly diagnosed, offering support and words of encouragement. I Relay for the goosebumps! I Relay in hopes that my children’s children are lucky enough to tell the world that they don’t know anyone affected by cancer! Why do Relay? Share your stories. We are hoping to make this year’s Clinton County Relay for Life the biggest and the best yet. Please, join us on May 17th and 18th at the Clinton County Fairgrounds.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 14:03:42 +0000
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