Doing My Part

Friday night some friends and I participated in Relay For Life. My friend Jeanne belongs to Curves and they needed more people to walk for their team so I said sure. Not sure why I had never done it before. We started at 7pm and I think walked until about 11pm or so. I would have loved to stay longer but I had to watch the grandkids the next day so had to save some energy for them and the night air was starting to get to me. When we started walking I was so sticky my clothes felt like they were glued to me then it became cool and damp. Most years it has taken place on the track at O'Gorman but his year they are under construction so this year it was at Roosevelt. I cannot tell you how sad it made me to walk around that track and look at the decorated luminaries honoring or in memory of someones loved one. It is very sobering to see that there is still a long way to go in the fight against cancer as the In Memory far out numbered the In Honor of. I personally lost my Auntie Jeanette to ovarian cancer and am grateful to God that my sister-in-law is a cancer survivor. Addison's Godmother is also a breast cancer survivor, my dear friend Maureen is a skin cancer survivor so I have hardly been untouched by it. Doubtful that any of us are. Like I said I am not sure why I have never done this before. If you get the chance take the time because if someone going through the battle can walk around the track once or maybe even twice then those of us who are healthy should be running. But for the Grace of God goes I.

Today I also did something else I have never done before. I gave blood. I had not noticed the emails asking us to sign up for the bloodmobile but when I saw it sitting there this morning I just decided it was about time I did my part. As normal for me nothing I seem to do goes very easily. After I answered all the necessary questions,had my temp and blood pressure taken and my finger pricked to be sure I had enough iron in by blood, I settled in to get stabbed by the enormous needle, so far so good the finger prick hurt worse. I have always had very low blood pressure so I should not have been surprised that it would take me 3 times as long as the normal person to fill that pint sized bag. No less then 3 people came, gave and left before I was done. But will I do it again? Absolutely. Why have I never done this before? I may have helped saved a life today.

It feels really good to do your part.