Help a Worthy Cause!

So you are probably wondering why the world of ta ta’s – there’s another- is forefront in my vocabulary at the moment. The answer is simple. I am getting ready to walk in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. I’ve learned so much in this initial stage. For example, did you know that every 3 minutes a woman in the US is diagnosed with breast cancer? And that every 13 minutes, one of those women dies? The longest minute of my life was the 13th minute that belonged to my mom. That was nearly 13 years ago, yet I can still remember every second of that 13th minute with vivid clarity. The minutes, hours, and months that followed are all a blur—but damn if that minute won’t ever leave me.

Barb Crenshaw was her name. Now this woman was strong, viciously intelligent and a complete pain in the butt. Now when I call her a pain… it is done with nothing but love. She was proud to be a pain in the butt. There was no getting away with anything in her world. There was right and wrong- that’s it. Not an easy concept for teenagers, believe me.

I have so many great memories of my mom. We had a morning ritual. We would get up and have a cup of coffee and just recap the previous day, talk about our day coming up, about nothing special but everything in the world. Or the fact that every Sunday was blatant chick flick day. We would watch the likes of Dirty Dancing, Terms of Endearment, and Steele Magnolias. Think tears flowing, snot flying, hiccups – the whole nine yards. Very classy, let me tell you.

Of course who could forget when she hung the training bra I got her as a gag gift when she first found out she had breast cancer on her wall as her badge of honor for beating it. Hey, I never said my twisted sense of humor was not genetic. I blame her genes entirely. Although the reason this was so funny to both of us? She was a 46 EE. For those of you laughing in the back of the room, yes – I know- it must have skipped a generation.

And all of the times I would just sit next to her, no matter how old I got, and cuddle up. Or that we checked in with each other at least once a day and never hung up without saying “I Love You” even if we were mad at each other for something.

The fact that she looked like Uncle Fester in that god-awfull maroon robe after she lost her hair with the second round of cancer- and thought it was just as silly as we did.

Or how she would always tell you exactly how it was… even if you didn’t want to hear it.

All was not perfect though. There are some bad memories as well. Pretty much the entirety of my pubescent years for one.

There was also the day she told me she had breast cancer. Seeing her hooked up to Chemotherapy. Seeing the strongest woman I have ever known terrified. The day she told me it had metastasized in her brain. The day she told me they gave her a year to live. The night I came home to realize she spent that 13th minute alone, while I was at work. The day I had to say goodbye.

My mom may not have made it, but so many women have, and even more will. The advances they make each year have breast cancer on the decline – but those advances do not come cheap.

This brings me to the reason you are reading all of this. I need your help. I need you to think about that 13th minute. Imagine it belonging to someone you love.

Or worse, imagine someone you love realizing that 13th minute belongs to you. I say or worse because the most painful part of that 13th minute belongs to the people
you left behind. Not a fun thought is it? But you can help keep yourself and others from ever reaching that 13th minute.

The AVON walk for breast cancer is coming up on May 31st. 2 days and just shy of 40 miles. Again, you- in the back room – stop laughing. YES I plan on walking all 40 miles. Here’s the thing though… I can’t do it without your help. Though I’m required to raise at least $1,800 in donation, I plan to raise much more!

I hope that I can count on your support. You can make a donation to my fundraising campaign right here http://walk.avonfoundation.org/site/TR?pg=personal&fr_id=1450&px=3849283

You can also email this lovely tale to everyone you can think of. They take the time to read it or they don’t but they never will get the chance if it’s not sent at all. Every little bit helps!!

Also, there will be lots of great fundraising done in partnership with Crossroads Restaurant and Eatery in Wooddale and its wonderful Owner Paul Groh, who by the way, was co-creator of the ever so classy name of our Walk Team. “Barb’s Boobie Busters and Crossroads Cleavage Crew.” Ooooh my mom would be so proud!

I will keep you posted on the upcoming events as time goes on. Breast cancer is a big disease, one that still affects far too many people, and I’m determined to do everything I can to help put an end to it.

I hope you will too.

Click here to visit my personal page.
If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:
http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/TR/Walk2008/Chicago?px=3849283&pg=personal&fr_id=1450&et=4cEX8hOobwEyNY1YCaT3Mw..&s_tafId=261529