More Than A Ride

When I signed up for the 45 mile Livestrong Challenge, I started this blog. I was struggling with the name, truth be told I was struggling with a lot in those days, and Tammy gave me this name. I new when she said it, that the months ahead would be more than about the ride and they have been. It has been an amazing few months.

When yet another loved one was diagnosed with cancer, my world began to spin and nothing made sense. This time we were looking at my Dad's battle with cancer, I still remember his Dad's battle. Cancer is not one of those things you forget. It just eats away until your body has nothing left to give.

I remember a friend who was in her second bought with breast cancer. The first one took her breast, this time it had moved to her lungs and chest. She had a 6 year old she had to take care of and she was just beginning to get back on her feet. It seemed cruel, her daughter had no family to go to and Darlene had few people to turn to, because she had no close family. Cancer moved through her body, made her neck rigid and it took her mind by the end. I remember one of the last memories with her, she had been moved to a nursing facility by then. She looked up at me, all of a sudden crystal clear she said, "Today is our anniversary of when we started talking. Thank you for being my friend.", tears were on the edge of my eyes and a huge lump in my throat. While holding my hand, she picked up her head and then she said, "here they come, they have such a sweet sound and they make me feel better." and her head dropped and the next time I went to visit she was not clear again. I sat with her and got her a few things she asked for, though none of it made sense to me. I wondered later if the mind goes so the body doesn't feel the pain. She made the most loving decision of her life, before she went on to be an angel. She allowed a loving family to adopt her now 7 year old daughter, knowing she could not do it much longer. They had been caring for her over the past months and she new they would take care of her.

So is this "More Than A Ride"? You better believe it!!! It is about finding yourself and honoring your loved ones who have wn the battle and about honoring the memory of those watching over us. I had no clue how much I would change when I signed up for this ride and I for once was given something by cancer. Because cancer has taken a lot from me. I was given "More Than A Ride" and all that came with it. I cannot explain it, it just is and you have to experience it yourself.

Help find a cure! Help stop cancer! Help there to be options!
http://philly09.livestrong.org/rhondachattin

Changing the world one revolution at a time.
-Rhonda