Last Friday, we had our local American Cancer Society Relay for Life. It used to be that people walked all through the night, but too many people left early, so ours goes until 1am. The picture is of my husband quickly walking away after a little two-step we did at the Relay event. They had a live band and it was playing some good country songs… and I just thought we needed to dance. Why? Because we can. Because it’s been 3 1/2 years since I was diagnosed & 3 years since a hysterectomy & broken foot all at once. Because dancing with my husband makes my heart happy. Because we don’t dance enough. Because it was a day to celebrate survivor & remember those no longer with us.

I’ve participated in Relay for Life for the last 4 years. The first year, I was still recovering & had a boot on my broken foot. This year, I was a team captain for our team at work. The survivor lap is more emotional than I am ever prepared for. With a sea of purple shirts & purple balloons, it’s an overwhelming sense of gratitude. We walk as one… each with a different story but all connected together. Then we walk a lap with our caregivers. My two sons and my husband walked with me. Our kids were 8 & 11 when I was diagnosed. I participated in this event so that someday, kids won’t have to hear their mom say, “I have cancer.”

The band played a song that made me cry… “I’m gonna love you through it,” by Martina McBride. Just typing it out, my eyes are welling up with tears. Grateful… just so grateful that I had someone to love me through it. I only had to change a couple of words in the song & it could have been written for me. When you’re weak, I’ll be strong. And he was. And so were many other special people in my life. Just take my hand, together we can do it. I’m gonna love you through it.

They also played “The Dance,” by Garth Brooks. Tears filled my eyes as we lit the luminarias in honor of a survivor & in memory of someone who had passed. I could have missed the pain, but I’d have to miss the dance. Oh, how true. So, while we were the only ones two-stepping on the track, I didn’t want to miss the dance.

Peace be with you on your journey of enough. May you take the time to dance, because there are those who cannot… and those who would give anything to have one more dance with the one they loved.