I was so jazzed I could have jumped up and grabbed the railing on the historic courthouse. That is, if I could jump more than three inches off the ground. And if I wasn’t a little nervous about the return to the courthouse floor. 
You see, it was our team kick-off for the Relay for Life event I’m chairing here in my home county. (We don’t really have towns, you see, so we have to call it a “home county,” which sounds very urban for a county that just got it’s first stop light a couple of years ago.) We were bringing people in to hear their stories of how cancer had touched their lives, to get them excited about Relay, to give them information about cancer support services, and to get this event rolling. We have $35,000 to raise to fight cancer, and I am ready.
Nothing gets me more excited than a good cause. This cause – more than any other besides perhaps working to write the people who were enslaved in the U.S. back into history – is very close to my heart. Since I only knew my mother as a woman who had cancer, I have walked all my days with the spector of this disease lingering just behind Mom. Then, when they found another melanoma, when it recurred again, and when this time it took her life, I vowed to do all I could to end this disease for everyone.
In 2012, scientists predict that cancer will overtake heart disease as the number one killer in the United States. If you have suffered from this disease yourself or if you have watched someone you love suffer with it, you now how excruciating it can be physically, emotionally, and psychologically. We need to stop this.
So last night, when I stood in that historic courthouse and watched people get antsy with excitement about our Relay and our goal, all I could think was, “Yes, Mom yes! This is for you. We will do this for you!”
How has cancer touched your life? Have you had the opportunity to do something to fight it?
I highly encourage you to find a local Relay For Life in your area. It’s a great way to fight cancer, build community, and have a blast!
Gray Hair and Acne 
There has been too much cancer in my life. I lost both my grandfathers to cancer. Just this week I just learned my father is suffering from a recurrence of colon cancer, his brother has been diagnosed with bone cancer, my elderly neighbor was diagnosed with esophegeal cancer. I currently have more than a dozen friends and acquaintances in various stages of cancer treatment.
One of my friend’s from church started a Relay for Life three years ago. She did so in honor of her husband, a 15 year survivor. Last summer, her 27 year old son was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, so she has even more reason to fight against this insidious disease.
Best of luck in meeting your goal, Andi. I surely know how close this cause is to your heart 🙂