Race for Hope - DC - Team Tyler

I have to start gearing up to get back to the real world . . . no more rocking on the front porch while a gentle breeze blows and the biggest decisions of the day are:  will I need a jacket on my morning run?  and, what time will I take my afternoon nap?

You might be wondering what this has to do with Race for Hope - DC - Team Tyler . . . well, I'll tell you!  The last four mornings have started out with a 30 minute run/jog/hurry.  My mind starts to wander as my feet pound the pavement, in time with the music that is pounding from my iPod.  A lot of times I think about why I joined Team Tyler and started running in the first place . . .


. . . I have always been keenly aware of how blessed I have been with my children -- especially healthwise.  They are 24, 21, 18, and almost 16. 

Doctor visits during the last 24 years?  Pretty much for regular check-ups.  On the rare occasions where one child was sick, it did NOT get passed around. 

Overnight stays at a hospital (other than the day they were born)?  None.  

Emergency room visits?  My 24 year old had a handful of trips for stitches.  My 21 year old -- once for a broken wrist when she was about eight.  My 18 year old  - a few times for stitches, once for nursemaid's elbow (which, according to the pediatrician, I could have fixed at home).  My 15 year old -- I dare not even say it for fear of jinxing her! 


. . . and then, I think of those parents whose children suffer with life-threatening illnesses (and who have extremely difficult decisions to make, along with facing the myriad of issues that go along with having a child with serious medical conditions), those parents who have lost their precious children.  I cannot even begin to imagine what this is like.  As a mother, my heart just aches for these parents . . . for the children who have endured so much.

Darius Rucker has a great song called, "If I Had Wings."  It's one of my favorites because of one simple line:
"and what can I do while I'm here to make someone's life better?"
I will gladly run (or jog, or hurry) for miles upon miles if it will help make someone's life better.

Below is a link with more information about the Race for Hope - DC, and Team Tyler:
http://www.braintumorcommunity.org/site/TR/Events/RFH-DC?team_id=45210&pg=team&fr_id=1651