Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about cancer. It’s one of the fine print side effects of participating in a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Cancer, “the Big C”, that most insidious class of diseases that turns a body against itself and steals those you love from right under your nose.
Cancer took my Aunt Peggy when I was 12. She lived far away, so I experienced her decline through pictures. My once vibrant, silly, full of life aunt slowly shrank and faded away. After that, I lived in fear of that boogey man showing up at our door. When I was 23 my parents sat us down to explain that the lump in my sweet, patient, brilliant Daddy’s neck was, in fact, cancer. Most of that time is a muddled mess in my memory, but I can recall with uneasy clarity the feelings of angry terror. Although his treatment was fairly routine and he has been healthy since, the “Big C” changed us forever.
Before each team practice, someone is chosen to share a “mission moment”, the story of the impact of cancer on someone, a story of survival or a memory of a lost friend. It helps to keep us focused on why we are in training for this swim across the Hudson, reminds us that this is bigger than ourselves, bigger than the river, even; we swim to save lives.
The other day, during a “mission moment’, it occurred to me that while cancer may be the “Big C”, we are combining lots of “little c’s” that will win out in the end:
community
commitment
coaching
creativity
compassion
companionship
cheering
cash
crazy people
These are just a few of the “little c’s” that, when combined will bring us to the biggest “c” of all --- “CURE”.
Want to help us find a cure? Please donate today at http://pages.teamintraining.org/wch/Hudson11/egallagbvf
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