Relay For Life

Relay For Life - 2019

Sometimes you know the lesson, but sometimes you are reminded in stark reality the meaning behind those lessons.  We are supposed to live life the best we can every day.  We are supposed to appreciate what we are given.  And as much as you try to live like that, you come volunteer at A Relay For Life and you realize you aren’t doing it well enough.  Watching the ceremony for the Luminaries is humbling.  The Luminaries are lit for those who have survived, those who are fighting, and those who have been lost.  Seeing heartbreak in physical form is heartbreak in itself.  The strength in the survivors and the fighters is incredible, inspiring and oh so humbling.  We made Luminaries for Grandma for fighting cancer, and one for Dad for beating cancer.  It was special watching Sydney make them and then the girls placing them.

I helped set the first group of them down, I found it hard to read them.  When I went back for more, the person in charge was telling all of us - don’t read them.  If you want to get through this part, don’t read them.  He was right.

When they did the ceremony for the Luminaries, we stayed at the Registration table where we were working today; but we could hear the music, the speeches, and we could feel the emotion of all those that have lost, and some recently this year.  You want to hold each one and somehow take their pain away, but you can’t.  Instead, you keep helping to register people and be a helping hand to make sure that the event happens smoothly for all those that have fought, are fighting and those there in memory of someone they lost.

And you go home after, knowing that it’s time to hold a little longer, hug a little closer, and always love a little more now than then.

Signing off friends, closing up our booth soon and hopefully then headed towards home.

31 For 21 Blog Challenge... a great but exhausting day!!!