8:30 am - the Mid-South Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K. Another PR. Several departments at work joined to form a team that walked and ran to honor two co-workers with breast cancer. The two we honor are relatively young women who we all work with closely every day. One is 45 and the other is in her mid-thirties. Our team is the Pink Lizards - Pink symbolic of the Race for the Cure color and Lizard, the childhood nickname of one of the co-workers who is fighting cancer.
I also run to honor my Mom, who was diagnosed with breast cancer this summer and was fortunate that it was found early enough so that her treatment is not as severe as my other friends' treatments. My list of women who I run in honor or in memory of is now growing every year. I wear the list with my race number when I run.
I run to honor -
Mom
Jeanne
Lisa
Teresa
I run in memory of -
Grandma Adelaide Tallman
Aunt Dorothy Tallman
All are fighting or have fought breast cancer. It not only affects the person who has cancer but also their entire families and network of friends. Many important gains have been made in diagnosis and treatment which would never have occurred had it not been for fundraising and awareness efforts. More work is yet to be done to find a cure.
The day ends with this quote that my friend and co-worker Yolanda wrote and that graces the back of our team shirts -
"Lizards are said to be a symbol of letting go, agility, conservation, and promotes dreaming."
"The Pink Lizards are walking and running for the conservation of the dream of finding a cure for breast cancer and letting go of the fear of this disease for future generations." | 