Days 454-56: Race for the Cure

Race for the Cure was yesterday morning. It was an experience that I thought I would be vaguely familiar with. But I was wrong.

No amount of AIDS Walks and Relays for Life could have prepared me for walking through downtown Little Rock and North Little Rock with almost 46,000 other people as the sidelines of the race were filled with people cheering us on, marching bands, local bands, radio stations, yoga studios, belly dancing classes, fraternities and cyclist training sessions. And all of it was to support the search for a cure for breast cancer. My mom and I walked in the 5k, a little over 3 miles. There were kids, babies, people of all ages, and for a little over an hour, we were all one entity.

I can honestly say that yesterday was one of the best experiences of my life. I walked for my grandmother, a two time breast cancer survivor before Alzheimer's claimed her life last year. Others wore the names of survivors they were walking for. Still others wore the names of those they had lost.

I want to send all of my love and my gratitude to the other participants, all the supporters, the volunteers, the committee and the survivors. They have become a part of me, and hopefully I have become part of them.