First week of June

Summer is in full swing now, which is wonderful. I am glad the kids are home! It just slows down all the busyness and gives us more time together.

Friday night,July 1, Tommy, Jamie, Mary and I went to our very first cancer event. It was the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. Lots of organizations had signed up to raise money for the event...banks, churches, office groups, businesses, and some families I think.

We went to the city park and there were booths set up in a circle in the middle grassy area. We headed to the pavilion and got in line for a nice dinner prepared for survivors and their families. (You are considered a "survivor" from the first day that you're diagnosed. I found that out last fall.) So... I am a 7 month survivor. I filled out the paper and they handed me a purple T-shirt...the front had "Relay for Life" and the back had in bold letters SURVIVOR. I felt like I was entering new territory, wearing a huge shirt that proclaimed in print that I was a cancer survivor. I was announcing it to the world somehow. Tommy helped me pull it on over my shirt. Then we moved on down the line and our family was served a nice picnic supper. We sat under the pavilion with lots of other purple shirts and their loved ones.

After the dinner, at 7pm all the folks under the pavilion moved to a starting line on the park walking trail. It is a small walking trail, goes around in a half mile circle. All along the trail were luminaries... paper bags with sand and a candle inside. On the outside of the bag were names honoring people, those still living and those who've passed away. Someone that I had just met last week bought a luminary for me. So as we walked around we looked for my bag with my name on it. Found it. It was very moving to see the bag...which is just... a bag. But it meant a lot. It confirmed publicly that, "yes, Lisa Carr has cancer, and she is a survivor, and as a community, we are going to stand with her as she fights this disease." Wow. It was very touching.

At 7:00 all the survivors lined up and starting walking this simple trail. The kids had left to go to a church youth party, so it was just Tommy and me, and all the other survivors too. All along the way there were groups of people standing on the edge of the trail. These were all the other people who had come to the event, the ones supporting all the activities. Those lined-up-people were all clapping.

Clapping for us.

Cheering us on.

We walked around the whole circle. We'd turn a little corner and there was another group, and another group, all clapping. It was very, very emotional and touching. Both of us were teary as we crossed the finish line.

People, once again...people that I don't even know, helping me fight this fight. Raising money for the sole purpose of stopping this disease, that I happen to have.
I am so humbled by their love and giving hearts. It was quite an incredible mile marker on this marathon that I'm running.

I came home and looked at my purple shirt.

I am forever in this club, the club no one wants to join. Once you're in it though, you are devoted to each other for life. Complete strangers are bonded. We understand each other and the road we have walked down.



Jesus, thank You that I went that night.
Thank You for all the ways You have faithfully sent encouragement along this road.
Thank You for all the people that have blessed me in the past 7 months. And...

thank You for my purple shirt.

In Your Name. Amen.