Walking For Boobs

Our first (of many to come) family charity walks went pretty well. Alana was a pill, but that is par for the course these days. Evan didn't complain of being too tired of walking (a welcome change).  In fact, he wanted to run. I was very happy about the running part. Unfortunately the crowd was so thick that running was not an option. In the future I would like to run the 1 mile with the kids, but strollers are not allowed to run.  So it will have to wait until Alana is older. I was totally jealous watching all the runners come in while I walked, very slowly. I don't regret walking with the kids though. It was a good experience for them and it gave us a chance to talk about cancer and taking care of ourselves.  While Ryan ran the 5k this year, it's his turn to take the kids next year.  5k here I come!


Evan wasn't getting the whole pink thing. When we got dressed that morning I tried to get him to wear a pink hat or socks. He laughed in my face and said "No thanks Mom. I'm good." He called Ryan a "girl" because he was wearing a pink shirt and some of my pink polka-dot socks (he got lots of complements on them). Ryan convinced him that wearing a bandanna like a pirate would be cool. Evan gave in, but informed Ryan that a pirate would NEVER wear a pink bandanna. 


McKenna, of course, loved getting all pinked out. From a pink hair bow to pink shoes, she had it all going on. Her favorite part was the opening ceremony when they had all the survivors release a balloon. It was great to see hundreds of pink balloons floating up into the air. I'm sure the environmentalists were cringing at the sight, but the kids loved it. 


As I was enjoying the experience I spent some time thinking about the people I have known who have had to battle cancer. My Aunt Joan Couch is the only person I have personally known who had breast cancer. It was probably 20 years ago. I was old enough to know that she had a mastectomy on one side but too young to know any details. Her daughter Donna later found a lump but it didn't turn out to be cancer (thank goodness). It has alway stuck with me and I developed a fear of breast cancer early.


I thought about my paternal grandmother, Mildred Jones. She did not die of cancer but she battled and beat pancreatic cancer. This also happened when I was kid. In fact my parents never talked to me about it at all. I found out years later after she had passed away.


I thought about our friend Levi Wilmott who died of a rare bone cancer in 2007. He was 27 years old and left a wife and 3 babies. His death still leaves a big hole for Ryan.


Then, of course, I thought of my own Mother-in-law Priscilla Graham. She passed away from colon cancer in 2006.


It would be hard to find anyone who has not been affected by cancer in one way or another. The fear of one's body betraying them is ever present. Because when it comes down to it, there is really no way to prevent cancer and it can strike anyone at any point in life. I learned this hard truth from my dear friend Levi.