This
weekend was my school's American Cancer Society Relay For Life. Don’t let
the name deceive you. It’s not an insane
endurance event (in fact there was tons of candy, pizza, cupcakes, etcetera. I even won a raffle basket with marshmallow
peeps and godiva chocolate). But, it was
definitely still worth being at. I’d be
talking to one friend, and then I’d look around and see someone else I knew. There were very few times throughout the
night where I had no one to hang out with or talk to. Whether it was kids in ROTC, kids on the ski
team or friends from class, there was always someone around. Furthermore, there were cool events going on
all night, whether it was Mr. Relay, a date auction, henna tattoos or a psychic,
there was always something to keep you busy.
And
even though I’m in this weird transition stage of wearing the walking boot less
and less, and learning to walk again, and someone I knew came up to me and said
jokingly, “I feel like this event is anti-you.
Because it involves walking and you’re not supposed to be doing that.”,
and to be fair, I did opt out of the bouncy house even though I wanted to, I
enjoyed every minute of it.
I’m
an athlete, and most days listening to long speeches or lectures is a struggle
to focus, since I really just want to go for a long run most of the time, but I
was one hundred percent still and focused as students from our school shared their stories
last night. From the survivor who just
finished Chemotherapy after being on the medication for 9 years to the boy
who’s childhood best friend lost his 5-year long battle with cancer last year
to the kid who said, “I’m here today because for the first 17 years of my life,
cancer didn’t affect me”, but it stole his father away within three months,
just a week before his high school graduation, everyone has a story. Some have had it harder than others.
But,
last night, everyone came together to honor those we have buried, as well as
those who have survived, and to fight for a better future, where adults like my
parents, aunts and grandparents, teenagers like Zach Sobiech (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NjKgV65fpo)
and young children like Ben Sauer (http://bensauer.blogspot.com)
don’t have to face this beast. And
there’s something beautiful about a community like that.
That’s
all I’ve got for now. In fact I have to
go write a history paper… But stay strong, and keep running,
Sarah
