From Suffering to Strength

Today in our town we had the Race for the Cure for breast cancer.  This was my 5th year attending.  I've gone with friends, my mom and my oldest daughter.  This year it was just my daughters and I.  We ran the race.  It was the first time I'd run.  It was the first time my youngest got to come and it was the first time that my oldest got to come into the survivor tent with me.

It was very sweet to have my girls with me.  We got our picture taken together in our matching shirts.  We walked through the vendors.  My youngest was thrilled by all the people, everyone in pink, she had no idea it would be like this.  She proclaimed that she had never seen this many people before.  Since we ran and were ahead of the crowd, she could see the throngs of people behind us once we turned the corner to return.  She was in awe.  My oldest was truly impressed with the survivor tent.  She liked all the pink table cloths, the flowers, the fire fighters in their dress attire that escorted us in, and the special treatment. I'm only allowed to bring one person in with me.  It was wonderful to see this through new eyes.

When I did the race 5 years ago for the first time, my husband and I did it together.  It had only been 2 months since my final radiation treatment.  I was still recovering from it and the toll it had taken on me.  I had started trying to exercise knowing that it was good for me, but hadn't regained full strength yet.  I tried to run during the race. We would run a little bit and walk a little bit.  I probably didn't run half of it and it was difficult.  The following 3 years, I walked with friends and my mom.  We walked briskly and had a wonderful time. This year, my oldest proclaimed she would be running the whole thing.  My youngest and I decided to run as much as we could.  We ended up running all but a a little bit, I don't know the measurement.  It may have totaled 10 minutes of walking.

I was thrilled when we ran through the finish line together.  I felt strong and amazing and more than a survivor.  I felt victorious.  This thing that tried to take me out, helped me to find a way to become the strongest and healthiest person I could.