I'm A Survivor!

The American Cancer Society has the big Relay For Life event for their fundraiser each year. Each city has its own chapter and organization for their specific Relay For Life. Community members form teams and take turns walking around a track or course for 24 hours. Salt Lake's events were held at Heritage Park (This Is The Place Monument) this year. I only learned about the events a couple of days before or I would have been on one of the relay teams. My sister Karen and I attended the Survivor's dinner and the opening ceremonies Friday night. For some reason, I was very emotional about it all. Usually, I don't have any problems talking about my cancer experience, but I was a wreck Friday night. It was amazing to be part of a community that included a 10 year old survivor and a 75 year old survivor, someone that has been cancer free for 20 years and someone that was diagnosed last week. Your life truly changes when you hear the words "You have cancer." The money that is raised in events like these go to the research for finding the cure.

As a group of survivors we walked the first lap of the relay together. Strangers that are united with a common bond. For the second lap, our caregivers joined us. I tearfully walked with my arm around my sister...so grateful for the love, care and inspiration she has freely given me. All members of the 20 teams joined for the third lap, and the relay continued from there. I'm glad I went. It helped with the healing. It reminded me how blessed I am.

I also finally met the guy Karen has been trying to set me up with for a year now. He seems like everything I want in a guy. He's handsome, personable, intelligent, funny and sweet. His fiance is really nice too. Yeah...that's right...he's engaged. "It's like meeting the man of my dreams and then meeting his beautiful wife. Isn't it ironic." Oh well, I guess it wasn't meant to be. At least I trust my sister's taste now.