A Breath of Hope

This morning I ran a 5k organized by the A Breath of Hope Lung Foundation. My 1/2 marathon training schedule said to run a 1/2 marathon this weekend, so I sought one out and was really happy to find one that benefited a cause that is near and dear to my heart. Most of you that read this blog are my family members so know the unfortunate reason why Lung Cancer is something that has impacted my life - My Grandma McDougall passed away from Lung cancer in May of 1992. Kind of odd to think that I was only 11 when she passed away; granted, I was just finishing 5th grade, but I feel like I was older then. I have alot of wonderful memories of my Grandma. When we were kids, everytime we'd go to Fargo, we'd stop by Grandma's and she would inevitably have some fresh-baked good for us! Mom would try to get a trip to Fargo planned without Grandma finding out so she wouldn't bake anything special for us, to no avail! When I think about it, most all of my memories of Grandma involve food! She was an amazing baker and cook, and the kind of host that just never sat down - she wanted to make sure everyone was taken care of and happy. Hmm, sort of like my mom. I think some of her siblings jokingly refer to her as Val (Grandma's first name).

Back to the run... I was really impressed by the organization of the run. They had different colored shirts for Lung Cancer survivors so it was neat to look around and see all the people who had won their battle with cancer. I also learned that Lung Cancer is responsible for more deaths than any other kind of cancer. Can you believe that? I had no idea. It's actually responsible for more deaths than Prostate, Colon, and Breast Cancer combined.

As I was running the race, I was picturing Grandma up in Heaven, taking a break from a game of International Rummy, looking down on me. Wish I would have had more time with her but at least I have as many memories of her as I do! I saw alot of families that had formed a team and were walking in memory of a loved one, so maybe I can convince some of the McDougall clan that lives in the Minneapolis area to join me next year!

And here's hoping that the money raised today will bring us one step closer to finding a cure!!