A Family Affair

Pit Stop 3. This is where I will be crewing, along with my mother, my Aunt M, and my cousin P (and a number of other wonderful people, who I am looking forward to meeting!) And while the 4 of us are working hard keeping walkers hydrated, fueled up and keeping the port-a-potties filled with TP, and of course cheering on every one of the thousands of walkers, my cousin "Big J" will be walking those 60 miles. As you can see, the Breast Cancer 3-Day is a family affair. And while due to my own medical issues in the past, this is the first year I have been healthy enough to participate, my family has participated as walkers and crewers over the years in 3-days in DC, NY and CA. We participate in honor of 2 family survivors, from whose strength and courage I draw every day. We participate in memory of those friends we have lost to this horrible disease, and for the anger and emptyness we feel at their loss. We participate to celebrate the lives of everyone who have had or has this horrible disease. we participate to find a cure so our children and our children's children will never have to see this disease ravage their families. We participate to show love, to show stength and most of all, to show hope. And my family knows about strength and hope be it from Breast Cancer or other forms of illness. We know what it means to be the caretakers, the cheerleaders, the one with the illness, and we also knows what it means to be strong and and courageous and hopeful....and during the 3-day, my family is not just about me and my mom my aunt and my cousins. My family is the entire city of pin tents, every one involved with the walk. We all are family for 3 days. We all walk and work for a purpose. We all share strength, and courage and refuse to give up.

Why...

Why would anyone want to spend 3 days in the heat, or the cold, in the pounding sun or pouring down rain? Why would anyone want to sleep in a pink tent, in face, live in a city of pink tents for 3 nights? Why would anyone want to get up a 4:00 in the morning to cook thousands of meals? Why would anyone want to haul boxes, hand out water and Gatoraid, keep the Port-a-Potties clean and full of TP while cheering on thousands of walkers at the same time. And why would thousands of people, young and old, walk 60 miles over 3 days, having to deal with the possibility of blisters, cramping and dehydration? Why would you want to spend three days celebrating life and the lives of those who have passed away from the killer of Breast Cancer? Why would you want to spend 3 days making new friends, laughing, crying, kissing and hugging and cheering? Why would you want to spend 3 days that would end up being the best 3 days of your life? The answer is easy....because you want to help find a cure for Breast Cancer.