I Run for Heather

On my way to chemo yesterday, I knew I had to pick up a local paper. My sister has organized a fun run/walk to benefit those in the community with cancer. It's in its 4th year and it's called "Celebrate Life." She told me that there would be a picture of our daughter and I with a story about the race's meaning and how it all got started. (It's on August 11th if you're in town - print out a registration at http://www.bonnergen.org/)



When I grabbed the paper, my heart skipped a beat for a moment. At the top of the paper was my picture with the caption saying, "Annual walk celebrates life." In the other corner was my dear friend who passed away almost a year ago with the caption, "Heather Gibson's spirit lives on at CCS." When you open the paper, the stories and pictures were written on facing pages...both about events to help cancer patients. While it was wonderful to read her story and see her beautiful face, it was bittersweet. I can't really put it into words, but I think it was something like why am I still here when Heather is gone? Those stories could have easily been written the other way. I know Heather would never want me to feel guilty, but it was a powerful moment of realization. I'm still here and I better make it count for her and myself.

It's a blur since they told me about it

How the darkness had taken its toll

And they cut into my skin and they cut into my body

But they will never get a piece of my soul

And now I'm still learning the lesson

To waken when I hear the call

And if you ask me why I am still running

I'll tell you I run for us all

I run for hope

I run to feel

I run for the truth

For all that is real

I run for your mother your sister your wife

I run for you and me my friend

I run for life

An Excerpt from Melissa Etheridge's "I Run for Life"