My voice is gone. I stood at the finish line of the Race for the Cure yesterday with the ladies from the Mercy Cancer Center. We were cheering on the 25,000 heroes who were helping raise money and spirits in the fight again breast cancer. I cheered loudly, used my clapper, gave high fives and was inspired.
Thousands of people streamed past me - women, men, children, dogs - all with one purpose, the eradication of a deadly disease. A disease that will infect 1 in 8 women and 1 in 100 men and affect hundreds more who love those people. With early detection it doesn't have to be a killer, but it still has to be battled - a team makes that easier.
And that's what you saw yesterday, team after team - Testes for Breasties, Amanda's Army, Team Fight Like a Girl and many other creative efforts put forth for a little fun in a sea of serious. People walked and ran for victims who had lost their fight. Women came in wheel chairs because they were too sick from chemo. It wasn't a place to extol traditional physical beauty - many were bald from radiation, no make-up, one breast - instead it was beauty of spirit that caused cheers and claps.
I was moved, not only by the vast swath of pink that was moving in unison through downtown Des Moines, but by the power of love. I was honored to be on the side of the street where survivors walked by in a special chute, just for them. They smiled, they cried, they cheered, they hugged, they danced in pride - they made us all believe.
Thank you to Mercy Cancer Center for inviting us to be a part of the cheer section that welcomed everyone back to the capitol, it was wonderful, even if I have no voice to say it out loud. ;)
Yours in Health,
Kate
No comments:
Post a Comment