Mom’s love and support for others was always visible; she was always there with an ear or a batch of Rice Krispies. In early 2005, when a friend of hers died after a long brutal battle with cancer, she decided that she needed to do something that would make a difference. She decided that – as mother and daughter – we would participate in the Weekend to End Breast Cancer. The Weekend is a 60 kilometer walk around
That year was Mom’s 60th birthday and rather then a big party with lavish gifts Mom asked that we sponsor her on her journey to end breast cancer. We knocked on doors, held garage sales, harassed family members, sold pears on street corners (“Buy a pear to save a pair”) and in the end she managed to surpass her aggressively high fund raising goal. She was so proud of herself, as we all were. During the walk Mom was a champ. Though it wasn’t easy, she managed to pound every step of the 60 kilometers by herself, all the while making a number of new friends. She was so happy when she crossed the finish line and even though her aching legs and blistered feet wanted to go home and rest, nothing could stop Mom from going out for wings and beer to celebrate.
That is something that I will miss so much about Mom – the fact that there was no changing her mind once she had decided on accomplishing something – especially if it was going to make a difference in the lives of others.
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