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RELAY FOR LIFE
- Aug 12, 2007 at 4:59 PM
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UP ALL NIGHT, WALKING AROUND AND AROUND IN SHIFTS ATTEMPTING TO RAISE MONEY TO FIND A CURE. GOING INTO THIS ADVENTURE I AM SO SURE THAT I CAN REMAIN POSITIVE. I TELL MYSELF "YOU CAN DO IT, YOU CAN HOLD THAT POSITIVE ATTITUDE, JUST REMEMBER THE SECRET". WE ARRIVE TO LISTEN TO SEVERAL DOZEN PEOPLE SAYING OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN "IT'S HOT" MY MIND TRYS TO HOLD THE POSITIVE BUT THE THOUGHT IN MY MIND IS "NO SHIT SHERLOCK IT IS FREAKING AUGUST AND 100 DEGREES" BUT MY LIPS SAY NOTHING, I JUST SMILE AND REMIND THEM IT COULD BE RAINING AND WE WOULD ALL BE WET ALL NIGHT LONG. THE NEGITIVITY REMAINS, I TRY TO REMAIN POSITIVE. THE BOOTH IS SET UP, THE WALK BEGINS. IT IS 6 PM AND THE CANCER SURVIVORS TAKE THEIR LAP. THE CROWD LINES THE TRACK AND APPLUADES THE WALKERS AS THEY MOVE ALONG. A LITTLE OLD LADY, ALMOST TO WEAK TO WALK MAKES HER LAP UNDER HER OWN POWER. A REMINDER COMES TO HEART "THIS IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT". THE SURVIVORS WEAR PURPLE SHIRTS, THE TEAM CAPTAINS WEAR BLUE AND THE MEMBERS WEAR WHITE. AS THE SURVIVORS FINISH THEIR LAP AND HEAD TO THE LIONS DEN TO HAVE DINNER THE TEAMS BEGIN THEIR TEAM WALK. ONCE AROUND THE TRACK AND THEN THE NIGHT TRULY BEGINS. ONE PERSON FROM EACH TEAM MUST BE ON THE TRACK AT ALL TIMES. A CAPTAIN BEGINS AND A SCHEDULE IS SET. THANK GOD WE HAVE ENOUGH MEMBERS ON OUR TEAM THIS YEAR TO BE ABLE THAT WE ONLY HAVE TO WALK THREE TIMES ALL NIGHT. POSITIVE POSITIVE POSITIVE I REMIND MYSELF EACH STEP THAT I TAKE, EACH TICKET I SELL, EACH CURLY FRIES PLATE THAT I SELL. I WILL REMAIN POSITIVE FOR I CAN MAKE IT THROUGH. THE PAIN I FEEL IS NOTHING TO WHAT A SURVIVOR FEELS AS THEY FIGHT THIS TERRIBLE DIBILITATING DISEASE. MY FIRST WALK GOES WELL, THEY BEGUN TO SET OUT THE LUMINIARIAS. (A WHITE BAG, WITH "IN MEMORY OF" OR "IN HONOR OF" AND THE NAME OF THAT SPECIAL PERSON WHO IS FIGHTING CANCER OR HAS LOST THEIR FIGHT.) THERE ARE HUNDREDS, ALL TO BE LIT LATER. I SLOWLY WALK PAST THE BAGS, READING THE NAMES OF THE PEOPLE I KNOW WHO ARE FIGHTING OR HAVE LOST. SOME FROM LAST YEAR BEING HONORED ARE NOW ONLY A MEMORY, THE FIGHT LOST, THE BATTLE OVER. EACH STEP BECOMING MORE PAINFUL AS MY BACK WRENCHES AND MY FEET SCREAM. I CONTINUE TO WALK, I WILL NOT QUIT, THOSE IN THE REAL BATTLE CAN NOT JUST QUIT BECAUSE THEY DO NOT FEEL LIKE DOING IT ANYMORE. FINALLY MY TIME IS OVER, A NEW WALKER COMES TO TAKE MY PLACE. I CAN REST FOR AWHILE, I DO NOT WALK AGAIN UNTIL 12:30 AM. THE BOOTH NEEDS SOMEONE TO TAKE THE MONEY POUCH, THE PERSON DOING IT NOW IS "TIRED" AND WANTS TO SET DOWN. POSITIVE POSITIVE POSITIVE. "I WILL TAKE IT" AND I TIE THE BAG TO MY WAIST. SELLING CURLY FRIES AND WRIST BANDS FOR THE INFLATABLE JUMPING HOUSES THAT ARE SET UP FOR THE KIDS TO HAVE SOMETHING TO DO. THE SURVIVORS WALK AROUND TO EACH BOOTH AND ACCEPT A GIFT FROM THE TEAMS THAT SAYS "YOU ARE APPRECITED". OUR GIFT IS A BOOKMARK, HOMEMADE, AND THE SURVIVORS SEEM TO APPRECIATE THE SPEICALNESS OF THE GESTURE. MORE LUMINIARIAS ARE SET OUT AND IT IS ALMOST TIME FOR THE CEREMONY OF THE LIGHTING. EVERYTHING STOPS, PRAYERS ARE SAID, AND A LISTING OF THE CELEBRATED IS READ. "IN HONOR OF" AND THE LIST GOES ON.......... "IN MEMORY OF" AND THE LIST GOES ON....... ............
AS WE ALL TAKE A SILENT WALK (WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE A SILENT WALK) AROUND THE TRACK TO CELEBRATE THE MEMORY OF THOSE WHO ARE CELEBRATED. ONCE AROUND SLOWLY, READING ONCE AGAIN ALL THE NAMES, REMEMBERING THAT I HAD FORGOTTEN THE REASON THAT I WALK EACH YEAR. MRS PATSY SMITH. A GLORIOUS LADY, MY SISTERS MOTHER IN LAW, ONE OF THE GREATEST LADIES I HAVE EVER MET....LOST HER FIGHT SEVERAL YEARS AGO. GOD REST HER SOUL. I SEND MY SON AFTER A LUMINIARIA FOR HER, IN MEMORY OF. SHE WAS AN INSPIRATION TO MANY AND A FRIEND TO ALL. STEPPING OFF THE TRACK, MOVING BACK TO OUR BOOTH TO SELL MORE TO MAKE MORE MONEY TO FIND A CURE. THAT IS WHY WE ARE THERE, TO FIND A CURE. GOD WILLING WE ARE SO MUCH CLOSER EACH DAY. LATE INTO THE NIGHT, MORE AND MORE AND MORE WHINING ABOUT THE HEAT, THE POSITIVITY IS NOT REMAINING WITH ME. THE NEGITIVITY HAS SET IN, THE SADNESS HAS BROKEN MY RESISTANCE. THE SIGHT OF THE LUMINIARIAS, THE COMPLAING FROM A GROUP WHO IS SUPPOSED TO BE A POSITIVE INFLUENCE. MY GROUCHYNESS HAS NOW BECOME TOO MUCH FOR ME TO HANDLE. I WALK TO FIND A PRIVATE PLACE, A NEED TO CRY TO RELEASE THE ANGER THAT IS ENGULFING MY LIFE. JOHNNY ON THE SPOTS ARE ALL THAT ARE AVAILABLE, BUT THEY SERVE TO RELEASE THE SADNESS A LITTLE. I USE MY HANKERCHEIF TO WENT DOWN MY FACE TO RELIEVE THE SADNESS IN MY EYES. AS I WALK BACK TO THE BOOTH THE LADY WITH THE MONEY ONCE AGAIN NEEDS A BREAK AFTER 20 MINUTES OF HELPING. "I WILL TAKE IT" SOMEONE HAS TO BE THERE AND A SOUR FACE WILL NOT SELL ANYTHING. I SMILE AND TAKE THE CASH POUCH AGAIN. A CUSTOMER ASKS ME IF I AM ALRIGHT AND I SMILE AND SAY YEA, THAT THIS IS ALL JUST A LITTLE OVERWHELMING. WHICH IS NOT FAR FROM THE TRUTH. SHE THINKS I AM TALKING ABOUT THE CEREMONY, WHICH HAS SOME TO DO WITH IT, I DO NOT SEE THE NEED TO TELL HER IT IS THE COMPANY I AM KEEPING THIS EVENING. I PRAY A SMALL PRAYER FOR GOD TO BRING BACK MY POSITIVITY. SMILING I START TO FEEL BETTER, FACING THE REMAINDER OF THE TIME AT THE FRONT TABLE WITH A SMILE OF MY FACE, SELLING FRIED POTATOES WITH THE JOKING STATEMENT THAT FOR TONIGHT ONLY THEY ARE "FAT FREE", BUT TONIGHT ONLY. PEOPLE LAUGH AND ADD THE EXTRA CHEESE, FOR TONIGHT ONLY. SECOND ROUND, PAINFULLY TAKING EACH STEP, REMINDING MYSELF THAT THOSE WHO FIGHT CANCER CAN NOT STOP JUST BECAUSE THEY HURT, I WALK ON AND ON. 30 MINUTES LATER, THAT FRIENDLY FACE ONCE AGAIN TAKES MY PLACE ON THE TRACK AND ANOTHER MINUTE CLOSER TO DAWN COMES TO PASS. THE NIGHT DRAGS ON, THE CHATTER OF HEAT AND EXHAUSTION CONTINUES, THE COMPLAINING GOES ON AND ON AND IT AFFECTS ME TO THE VERY CORE OF WHO I AM. 5 AM, ON THE TRACK FOR THE LAST TIME. SLOWLY WALKING AROUND THE TRACK ONCE AGAIN, TO MAINTAIN A LESSER AMOUNT OF PAIN AS WELL AS TO ONCE AGAIN READ THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO ARE BEING WALKED FOR. "IN MEMORY OF" & "IN HONOR OF" THESE STICK IN MY MIND AND WILL FOR DAYS. I CLOSE MY EYES AND THE BAGS BECOME CLEAR IN MY WAKING DREAMS. CLOSING CEREMONIES, SUNRISE AND THE WALKING IS NOW DONE, THE END IS NEAR, HOPE HAS RETURNED ONCE AGAIN THAT WE HAVE DONE A GOOD DEED. THE PRIZES ARE HANDED OUT, BEST COSTUME, BEST DECORATIONS, MOST SPIRITED, BEST FOOD, ETC.......WE HAVE WON BEST FOOD FOR THE CURLY FRIES, WHAT A GREAT IDEA.....MAKES IT SEEM ALMOST FAIRISH.........A CELEBRATION OF SORTS. DURING THE SUNRISE FINISH WE GET AN ESTIMATE OF HOW MUCH HAS BEEN RAISED TOTAL FOR THE COUNTY OF PHELPS FOR THE YEAR OS 2007. WE HOLD OUR BREATH AS THE FIGURES ARE FINALIZED, TO BE RECOUNTED ONCE AGAIN AFTER ALL IS SAID AND DONE. 2006 BROUGHT US AN EARLY MORNING ESTIMATE OF 92,000 DOLLARS FOR A SMALL TOWN OF 16,000 PEOPLE. 2007 BRINGS THIS SMALL TOWN A CELEBRATED TOTAL OF 115 THOUSAND DOLLARS RAISED TOWARD THE RESEARCH FOR A CURE FOR A DISEASE THAT AFFECTS EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THE WORLD, IF NOT BY INVADING THEIR BODY THEN BY INVADING THE BODY OF A LOVED ONE OR A LOVED ONE'S LOVED ONE. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO
CELEBRATED PERFECTION IN A JOB WELL DONE, THE ACHES AND PAINS AND THE EXHAUSTION THAT HAS SET INTO THE BODY IS GONE. READY TO GO HOME, REST AND GO TO GOD'S HOUSE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP GETTING ME THROUGH THIS PAST NIGHT. ALTHOUGH THE NEGITIVITY TOOK AHOLD OF MY HEART DURING THE HARSHISH HOURS OF THE NIGHT AMID ALL THE WHINING AND COMPLANING, HOPE SHINED THIS MORNING WHEN I NEEDED HOPE THE MOST. POSITIVITY COME BACK, SLOWLY BUT COMING BACK NONE THE LESS. GET READY NEXT YEAR, I WILL BE BACK PAIN WILL NOT HOLD ME DOWN, ANGER WILL NOT DETER ME FROM MY PROMISE TO FIGHT FOR A CURE.......ON TO 2008
Comments:
It was really hard to remain positive throughout the night, but I would see a survivor still walking even though they fight this every day of their lives and it would come back to me.....God willing one day a cure will be found...Thanks for reading....
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