My "No One Fights Alone" bracelets
Being the oldest child, I have always been the one to take care of my family, to avoid conflict, and to try to fix things when they go wrong. I dislike conflict and am not happy when things are out of my control. I always want to make things better, so when Kay shared her cancer news with me, I felt terribly helpless--what could I do to make this better for Kay? I couldn't take her cancer away, so I was at a complete loss for what to do to help.
Once the initial shock wore off my brain began to work, and I realized there were so many things we could all do to support her. One thing Kay said to me that Sunday morning has really stuck with me. She said that while Karrie, Leslie, and I were fighting to train for our Ironman race, she would be fighting the race for her life. She told me that while she might not be able to train with us as much as she had planned to, she would be our biggest cheerleader. That got me thinking, "No one fights alone!" Kay would have all of us to keep her strong through a race she never asked to be entered into, and she can have something positive to focus on by pushing us in our training.
One thing I was able to do to support Kay was to find people I knew in the school district where we both work who could give her guidance. I do not know anything about fighting cancer, but I was able to put her in touch with people who could coach her along the way. One of these people also told me about a website that I should visit to find another way to support Kay. Choose Hope is a website where I was able to purchase bracelets that we could all wear to let Kay know that we were on her team, and it also reminds us to send prayers and good wishes to her on a regular basis. In addition, Choose Hope donates a portion of all purchases to a variety of leading cancer research institutions, which is an added bonus. So we are all wearing dark blue plastic bands to remind us that we are a team behind Kay...because no one fights alone.
Once the initial shock wore off my brain began to work, and I realized there were so many things we could all do to support her. One thing Kay said to me that Sunday morning has really stuck with me. She said that while Karrie, Leslie, and I were fighting to train for our Ironman race, she would be fighting the race for her life. She told me that while she might not be able to train with us as much as she had planned to, she would be our biggest cheerleader. That got me thinking, "No one fights alone!" Kay would have all of us to keep her strong through a race she never asked to be entered into, and she can have something positive to focus on by pushing us in our training.
One thing I was able to do to support Kay was to find people I knew in the school district where we both work who could give her guidance. I do not know anything about fighting cancer, but I was able to put her in touch with people who could coach her along the way. One of these people also told me about a website that I should visit to find another way to support Kay. Choose Hope is a website where I was able to purchase bracelets that we could all wear to let Kay know that we were on her team, and it also reminds us to send prayers and good wishes to her on a regular basis. In addition, Choose Hope donates a portion of all purchases to a variety of leading cancer research institutions, which is an added bonus. So we are all wearing dark blue plastic bands to remind us that we are a team behind Kay...because no one fights alone.
The road is never long when you are with friends...
That is the beauty of having such an amazing support system--there is always someone there to remind you to keep pushing forward. On our long training runs and bike rides we consistently push each other to do more and to push harder. If one of us looks like they are petering out on the the bike ride, someone will ride alongside and help keep them going. On our high mile runs, if we one of us loses steam and walks too much, there is someone there to remind them to keep going. During our early morning swims when I feel like I am going to drown, Karrie, Leslie, and Emily not only give me tips on how to improve my technique, they give me positive feedback so I don't get too frustrated--no one fights alone!
We all have our races we have to run...some we sign up for, and others are forced upon us. But the important thing to remember is that we do not have to face these challenges alone. During these times of trial and stress we need to remember not to be too proud to allow others to do nice things for us. That is the great thing about the relationship I have with Kay and my Ironman teammates. We realize that it feels great to give to others, but we also realize that we must allow others to feel that same goodness by giving back to us. No one fights alone, and thank God I have my team behind me and Kay to remind us of this on a daily basis!
We all have our races we have to run...some we sign up for, and others are forced upon us. But the important thing to remember is that we do not have to face these challenges alone. During these times of trial and stress we need to remember not to be too proud to allow others to do nice things for us. That is the great thing about the relationship I have with Kay and my Ironman teammates. We realize that it feels great to give to others, but we also realize that we must allow others to feel that same goodness by giving back to us. No one fights alone, and thank God I have my team behind me and Kay to remind us of this on a daily basis!
My 4 year-old Eoin took this picture of me
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