Today was one of those postcard perfect days in Southern California. The sky was bright blue with puffy white clouds. The air was crisp and the sun’s rays made all the colors of the landscape come to life. What a better way to spend the day than walking around the Rose Bowl with nine amazing people (plus another 10,000 or so who followed us).When we first arrived at the LA County Komen Race for the Cure, I was surprised at how emotional I felt. There were so many people all there because they care about eradicating breast cancer as a life threatening disease. There were also so many survivors there. It was overwhelming to see how many people have been touched by breast cancer.
I stopped at the survivor booth because I wanted to be sure to pick up an “In Celebration” sign to wear on my back. I wanted to walk in celebration of Marcia who just completed chemo last Thursday. When I saw my sister and my friend Sonya pick up signs and begin to write my name I began to cry.
When our team was all assembled, I was amazed when I looked at each my friends who had come there to walk, do something positive, and celebrate this day. I am hoping to post a couple of photos as soon as they are developed. These are the same people who saw me through the worst times of treatment and the people I know will be there in the future. I appreciate each one of them for their support and kindness and the blessing they have been in my life.
I don’t think I could adequately sum up the day without mentioning the t-shirts that my nephew, Mark, and his girlfriend, Kristin, were wearing. On Saturday night, while visiting with Grandma, they hand painted matching t-shirts to wear to the race. These t-shirts were bright pink with “Two Hands” painted in white and purple with iridescent sequins applied on top. Not only were they adorable, but it also taught me two things. First, my nephew is extremely confident in his sexuality (this was also demonstrated when he added the floral bandana on his head). Secondly, Kristin is very committed to be willing to walk hand in hand with him. But seriously, they both have a passion for life that it is contagious. I am so glad they were able to join us. I loved the shirts!
Our final fundraising total was $1200. Special thanks to everyone who contributed so generously to this event. For our first year, I think we were a pretty amazing team.
