Pretty Amazing

Again I walked the 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk

Again I was motivated and inspired by the many stories of survival and struggle.

Again I was touched and saddened by the stories of loss and heartache.

Again I was happy and joyous by the human spirit and being part of something bigger than myself.

My friend Jamie came up all the way from New Orleans just to walk this. Jamie and I had never met before this event. We were Myspace buddies -- shared common interests, made each other laugh, traded emails and pics of our kids, our lives....but when she said she wanted to come up here and walk I was all for it. It may sound strange but in this day of staying connected via internet, texting, e-mailing, and what not, it seemed like the perfect fit.

I was more touched this year by this event, and I can't really put my finger on why. I had put some more effort into training this year and really had my heart set on walking ALL 60 miles. But once I got into the event, I realized (yet again) it's *so* not about the walking. The walk is the FUN part. The money-raising is the meat and potatoes of this event. The getting-the-word-out-about-breast-cancer is the important part. It's a privilege to be ABLE to walk those 60 miles. For those who can't or who are no longer with us.

And if you can't walk them all, who cares? I had that feeling overtake me a bit when we started. It was so awesome to be a part of the Opening Ceremony, listening to everyone, watching the flags go by, seeing the one Survivor in the Survivor Circle cry tears of joy as we shouted and clapped them onto the stage...it seemed like the walking was just the icing on the cake.

Jamie and I walked the entire way on Day 1. Whew! We were really feeling it that night, but big thanks to my mom who picked us up and really baby'd us in the evenings. It made a world of difference for us, and with the way Jamie's knee acted up near the end, I don't know what we would have done had we stayed on site overnight. Total miles walked Day 1=21

Day 2 was hard on Jamie - her knee had swollen badly and her blisters were disturbing, to say the least. She didn't want to get on the bus at lunch to ride back to camp. She had flown all this way up here to walk, right? Nope. She had flown up here to be a part of this meaningful event, and she WAS. She had raised her $2,200+ and she had EARNED the right to be in this sisterhood of walkers. That's all that mattered. Total miles walked Day 2= 19

Day 3 was the Loopy Day. It's when we made the crazy "F" video (if you are on myspace, check out my page... I'll see if Jamie can upload it in another format for those non-myspace users) and we even made up our own song about blisters. *snicker* It wasn't a nice song. Because Blisters aren't nice. Total miles walked Day 3=15 (I think?)

We jammed to the Pink Ambulance Guys.

We took our picture with the lady who had been diagnosed at 7 months pregnant, had had her baby, and was here to cheer on her group of friends walking in her honor.

I walked with a guy from Kzoo whose wife was a survivor of 7 years and he decided to walk in her honor by himself.

I ran into some girls I used to coach volleyball, who were walking for their mom/aunt.

We met Pink Bearded Barry - the 60 year old guy from Huntington Woods who walks EVERY 3-day EVERY year. Yup. 60 miles EVERY weekend for TWELVE weeks. He's done it 3 years now and he says he'll keep doing it until someone shows him why he shouldn't. Every time I would see him, somehow my feet and calves immediately hurt a little bit less.

We *Squeezed* into the most outstanding, bestest, coolest, fantasticness Sweep Van of all and let Chef Erin and Chef Jill cart us to the next Pit all the while Erin was decorating my back with stickers and my feet were numb from squeezing in between the two front seats. =)

We were so grateful to everyone who came out and gave us fruit, candy, pop, slurpees, or just a big pat on the back and a "thank you" - we walk for everyone who can't and until we live in world without breast cancer, we'll just keep walking.

I urge all of you to check out this event, check out the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and get educated about breast cancer and what is being done to prevent and cure it.

The Michigan walk raised over $7 million dollars this year, up from 5.5 last year. Thank you SO much to all of you who donated to my walk this year. It's a big commitment to say "I'm going to raise $2,200 every year" and with this economy hitting us in Michigan, I wasn't sure I would be able to come back this year and do it. But you all proved me wrong. I am so happy and blessed to have the kind of support I do from my circle of family and friends, and trust me when I say I am *more* than grateful. I'm one lucky chicka and I know it.

And let me know who wants to walk next year, cuz I can't imagine a year going by where I'm not walking AT LEAST one of these. I know Jamie is just as inspired and wants her Mardi Gras folks to join us next year. Whoopee! The more, the merrier! There is talk of picking a different city to walk, and we all go there to walk - who knows - I just know I need to be a part of this until there is a cure....