Why I relay

Happy Sunday!

Yes, it is Sunday. I know this is a couple of days late. Yesterday was beautifully hot out which is why I stayed in and binge-watched NCIS with Dad. Today I'm at work while I write this post. The library is pretty quiet so I should be able to be productive...I hope. When I was outside earlier, it was a little hot but I felt a breeze. It would be a perfect day to go outside and get some vitamin D. Who knows you might even get a tan? Okay, I would fry like a french fry even with sunblock on; you don't have to be out there for that long. An hour or two would be good for your lungs to get some fresh air.

Here's the link to my latest Odyssey article: 10 Things I Learned From My Dad.

There is reason I couldn't post on Friday. It's something I want to share and talk about. If you don't know already, my mother, Joyce, is a 16 year survivor of breast cancer. Friday night was Delaware County's Relay For Life. This event is jointed with the American Cancer Society and honors and remembers the people whose lives were affected by cancer. So far I have experienced two different county's Relay For Life events, and they were pretty similar. Each included a track for walking/running/jogging, the Survivors Lap, Caregivers/loved ones lap, team laps, luminaries, and other events throughout the the time. Here is a link to learn more about ACS's Relay For Life event and to find the closest one nearest you.

Ever since my mother was diagnosed in 2000, I have been to 9 events to support her and her courageous battle. I was about 4 when my mother received the diagnosis and now I'm 20. So I don't remember much, except what my family tells me. I know it was hard for my mother to balance 3 growing children, a husband, jobs, and then add radiation and chemotherapy treatments. At times she was overwhelmed, frustrated, and wondered why God did this thing to her. But she said then and continues to reminds myself and my siblings to this day that if God brings you to it, He will bring you through it. And He did. My mother's faith in the doctors, nurses, family, friends, and many others, and most importantly her faith in God brought her through it. She got to see my siblings and I graduate from high school, my brother and sister graduate from college, and in another year and half, she'll watch me walk the stage and graduate. She will experience her own graduation with an AA degree next spring. She will experience so much more; it's like she got a second chance at life. 

This event is something so close to my heart because my mom and other people whose lives have been affected by cancer. Some people weren't as lucky. Some people found out too late and the cancer already took over their bodies. They are the reason why I relay. I relay for my mom. I relay for my grandma. I relay for all the close family-friends who lost the fight to cancer. I relay for those who continue the fight. I relay for those are not able to walk.

Until next week,

Thought of the day