Race for the Cure

On Saturday June 9th Libby and I participated in the Race for the Cure in Raleigh. I was sort of talked into it by Abe as the idea of being out in a crowd of 20,000+ people didn't really appeal to me. I figured it would be one big hassle for me and my little one in tow. I mean, I imagined the parking situation alone to be one big headache. I'm all for charity and cancer research, but I really did have to be talked into doing this.

Well the morning started off great when we got a great parking place. We proceeded to fill our bags with all the free stuff I had heard about. Vendors were there to willingly give you their freebies. We had allowed ourselves plenty of time to get there and browse before the race/walk would start.

However my lasting impression of this event is a bit bitter-sweet. As I walked around the crowd before the race, I noticed how the survivors wore the pick shirts and surely were the "honored guests" of the day. The whole "vibe" of the day was women empowerment and the survivors enforced the feeling even more for me. However, I teared up more than once during the whole event. (Thank goodness for my sunglasses).

I was first saddened before the race when I spotted a lady probably my age wearing her pink survivor shirt, but there was more to her story...she wore a cute bandanna to cover her bare head and didn't look quite as physically strong as the other survivors I had admired. I wondered just what this day meant to her at this stage in her treatment. When I cleared my throat a few minutes later I mentioned to Laura how some things about the day were making me sad. We discussed it briefly at that point.

Once the race started we were all pumped. The boys were ready to ride and Libby was setting the pace. I soaked in the whole experience. Libby enjoyed soaking in ALL the water coming from sprinklers, hoses, and water guns along the route. (I looked AHEAD at her once getting someone to pour a cup of water on her head!) But my sadness would return when I noticed a lady near us wearing the pink shirt and a bandanna (again) to cover her bare head. She was definitely young, I'm guessing 30 or so. She looked a bit older than her age as people going through such treatment sometimes do. She was walking near us and I pointed out to Laura that seeing her (and seeing the reality of this disease) was saddening, even on this day.

We progressed on and Libby was a champion in her endurance as a 7 year old. The day had been very rewarding. Image how I felt as we crossed the finish line and the lady announcer on the overhead speaker announces to the crowd that "we have our first proposal ever" at the race. I looked around to see that there was a guy pulling out a ring and placing it on the 30 year old cancer "survivor" that had been walking near us in the race. The one I had talked to Laura about. Talk about moving...I think we were all glad to have our sunglasses on at that moment.

In summary, the day was wonderful and I know it was a good physical and mental experience for Libby. (I had explained the whole purpose to her before we went). But I still have mixed emotions about it all. I keep comparing it in my mind to Dorothy's experience in Oz. Even though Oz was beautiful and she made great friends there, her whole goal of her time there was to simply return home. No matter how happy she seems there (and all the cute songs they sang) there is still a sense of melancholy as she really just wants to go home. I look back at the race the same way...although it is all fun and upbeat on the surface, underneath there is a really sad truth to this disease. The sadness is the faces of the women you DON'T see there in the pink shirts.

I am encouraged as a medical professional at the progress that has already been made in the treatment of breast cancer. Just think, it's gotta get even better in the future...and that's our little girl's lives.

I'll see ya' at the race next year.