Happy Valentine’s Day to all you lovers out there. You know what I love? Talking. I seriously asked my Mom once what she thought my “spiritual gift” was because I had no idea. She responded as if it was the most moronic question I could have possibly asked.
While no one is surprised I like to talk, it is surprising to most people when they first find out I had cancer. I take that as good news. That news means there are those of us out there living normal lives (zip it friends who have dirt on me), who have gone through treatments and are now cancer-free.
Let me tell you something that surprised me. As you know, yesterday was the kick-off for this 10 week effort. I sent out several hundred emails to customers and contacts asking for help. And in the span of the first two hours, I cannot tell you how many emails came back with stories. Shared stories detailing personal cancer journeys and the associated struggles, triumphs, and for some, the defeats. I normally don’t cry often, but yesterday morning I couldn’t stop. The overwhelming feeling of “I knew this disease was far reaching but I didn’t really know…” came over me as the emails continued to fill my inbox.
• Thanks Beth, my mother passed away from leukemia 5 years ago, so this is close to my heart. I have made a donation.
• Thanks for the e-mail. I had an uncle that I never got a chance to meet because he died many years ago at the age of 4 from Leukemia.
• Your email is very touching because what you don’t know is about 1 year ago, my mother was diagnosed with AML Leukemia while her and my dad were in Florida for the winter. While we have been through a lot with my mom having leukemia in the spring, going into remission and then it coming back in the fall in the form of a rare skin leukemia.
Here’s something else I thought I knew – that I was prepared for this campaign. Yes, I’m going to do everything I can to bring in as much possible money so the researchers can figure out how to beat this thing. They have to. We have to. Cancer needs to go away like, now. But I was completely ill-prepared for the emotional part. My emotions have been on overload since yesterday morning. The emotions have both taken me back and centered me to the here and now. This part, I can’t really explain sufficiently. Just thankful.
So why am I doing this? So eventually, none of us will have to receive emails like these ever again. Thank you for sharing; thank you for helping.
70 Days to go. The race is on.
http://www.beth4lls.com
