Six letter word

For over 18 years my mom has been a breast cancer survivor and patient. Ever since I can remember we've had five members in our four person family. Through countless surgeries, treatments, emotional roller coasters and stories of success I'm writing this post to tell you how she's inspired me, our family and my closest friends. I've never been more proud to be my mother's daughter than I am now.

My senior year of college at Michigan I lived with seven amazing women. Three of us out of the seven have mom's that lost, are fighting or had won their battles with breast cancer. One of my best friends Melissa lost her aunt to cancer. Another extremely close friend Chris lost his dad to cancer. My grandmother had breast cancer and my other grandmother had lung cancer- both have passed. And a new friend David is battling brain cancer.

Cancer- it has six letters, it's a word that is used as a verb and a noun. It's not uncommon to hear in conversation yet it stings each time it's spoken. Why? Is it that we don't talk enough about it? I hear about cancer all the time on the news? Is it that we are immune to it? Surely "I" won't get cancer. Is it that we are scared of it?...

After 18 years of a continued fight my mom is at peace with her cancer. Through the word of God my mom sees her cancer as a gift. Each day she wakes up and thanks Him for the new day before her, for my dad, my brother and I, for Kyle and the dogs, for the life she has. Each day cancer is a six letter word. Nothing more, nothing less.

Four weeks ago three of my best friends told me they were going to run Susan G. Komen's Race for the Cure in Denver. It was impossible for me to get to Denver that weekend but I wanted to run too. So on Sunday, October 4th at the same time but different time zones we all ran 5k in honor of my mom- the gang ran with thousands of other survivors, family members, supports and friends... I ran by myself back Traverse City.

Aside from feeling like I was going to die, I haven't ran 5k all summer, I made it! The gang runs every day so it wasn't a big deal to them. :) But the simple feat of all running together to honor my mom and support her was mind blowing to me. After the run I sent a couple pictures back to them shrinking the miles between hoping they'd send some of their pictures but I never got an email. I thought it was weird since we are all iPhone junkies- maybe they didn't get around to downloading the pictures or were busy with work like I was.

Then today I went to the mailbox after my meetings and had a card in the mail from them. There were the pictures and notes that brought me to tears. Everyone wrote such touching words of love and encouragement lifting me and our family up. They all ran with photos of my mom and carried a sign that said "Team Gail." Christina, Melissa, Kristin and I have been best friends for almost half of our lives. They along with their husbands Chris, Nick and Phil, Melissa's brother Jeff and his fiance' Judy and our other friend Aaron all ran.

The old cliche is that "words cannot describe" feelings. I disagree. I was overwhelmed with love from those images and words to the point of uncontrollable emotion. Murphy thought I was going to explode! I couldn't hold back the tears and crying... how amazing to witness God's love like that. It's incredible to know how much love they have for me but my mom as well. For 18 years she's inspired all of us to "just do it." Fight our fight and run the race. We did Mom, thanks to you.

Cancer- it's a not a six letter word. It's four, love.


The gang in Colorado :)


Me in TC :)