Running for a Reason

Cancer sucks.

For awhile, I got to live in this little bubble where cancer didn't exist in my life. I knew people who had had cancer at some point in their life & had overcome it, but I hadn't known them while they were going through it. I knew of people in school who had cancer, but since I wasn't particularly close with those people, it didn't affect me.

I still remember the day that Patrick called me to tell me that his mom had just been diagnosed with leukemia. No warning, no nothing. Just a phone call on a Thursday morning at work. But I guess that's how cancer comes into your life, right?

The good news is that she kicked cancer's butt & is doing super well 3.5 years after the fact.

But cancer came back into our lives again in the form of an inoperable brain tumor for one of our childhood friend's son. He's seven. Nobody should have to deal with cancer, but a seven year old certainly shouldn't have to.

You never know what to do when you hear that someone has been diagnosed with cancer. You want to do something but what? Send a text? Send food? Send a fun card to cheer the person up? Print out dozens of pictures to decorate a drab, cold hospital room? Buy a shirt? Wear a bracelet? Sign up for their 5K team?

5K? I can do a 5K!

This weekend, I'm running in the Brain Cancer Research Foundation's 5K in Charlotte with Parker & his family. Better still? My parent's are doing it with me! They're walking it instead of running it but y'all, they've been training hard. I can't tell you the number of times that my mom has gotten out and walked 5+ miles around the neighborhood or down at the beach since making the decision to sign up in January.

& I think that's really cool.

So yes, cancer sucks, but I love seeing all of our friends and family rallying around Parker and his family to cheer him on through this. I can't wait to get up to Charlotte this weekend and do a little racing in his honor!

#keeppoundingforparker

{PS - if you're interested in donating to Parker's team, check out his team page here}