must have rain...

The night was full of stories...stories of people of courage, strength in the midst of illness. The first lap done by those with yellow shirts (cancer survivors) was awe-some. People of all ages-an army of them each fighting their own war and yet fighting the war together-in the way only they could understand-and yet together with us who have experienced it in varying ways-but never like THEM. We wanted to understand and yet there was a gap between us and them-between their "knowing" and our supporting. And yet they were there with us accepting our support with such graciousness. All night there was a wave of walkers and runners-a wave that rolled toward shore non-stop. A wave that was stronger than the wind and the rain and the cold, and the dark. Stronger than the weariness and the pain, the memories of loss and the fear. More than 1000 people were there-everyone for someone dear.
The first half hour of my hour I spent with Joel and Amy Olson-he wore a yellow shirt. I heard his story-he's 10 years cancer free this coming Nov. He's only 25 or so. He and Amy walked all night. The next 1/2 hour I ran thinking, " one hour is so little to give."
But with lots of people doing a little each, it does add up. Sign me up for next year, TWU Penguins!