a day to think pink

I have a good friend that teaches 6th graders at a nearby middle school. Two years ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer, at the age of 24. They caught it early and after chemo and all it involves, she's cancer free now. I cant really imagine what that must have been like to go through, but this weekend she participated in the Susan G. Komen 3-day walk, and I made sure I was there at the end to see her and her team cross the finish line. When she first mentioned to me that she was going to walk 60 miles (20 miles per day), I thought she must be crazy, and that was before I found out she had to raise at least $2100 just to be able to do it (thats the minimum requirement to participate). Fortunately, no one in my family has ever had breast cancer, but after making my donation to help her reach her fundraising goal, I sent an email to all my friends letting them know how they could help if they were interested and I was shocked at not only the over-whelming response, but more so by the number of them who shared with me stories of friends or family that had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Most had survived, some hadn't. I'm not an extremely emotional person, but it was definitely a touching moment to see the 2000 participants as they completed the walk, many having survived the cancer themselves, some walking in memory of those that didnt make it. They raised a little over $5 million to help find a cure. Eleven more cities are hosting 3-Days this year and I'm sure each will be just as moving for those participating and I hope each will bring them closer to a cure.