It's my 4th year participating in the Canadian Cancer Society's Relay for Life. Or so we think we can't remember at this moment. Regardless, it's the toughest 12 hours of my life but I'll do it over and over again.
For those of you that don't know, Relay for Life is a 12 hour walk, done in teams. Basically you walk around a track for 12 hours as a team. It's broken up but I always try to walk as much as humanly possible.
The evening starts off with a celebration of life; the survivor's lap. A walk my mother once took. It's an emotional moment when you see survivors of all ages walking the track or sitting in classic cars. You can't help but thank The Lord that they are still here and miss the ones who aren't.
With high spirits, we're off. The first few laps are exciting, dancing our way through it. By lap 10, we're thinking let's take a break. Doesn't last long because its freezing and we realize movement keeps us warm. Visitor's bring us coffee and walk alongside us. We share stories, laughter and therapy sessions. Until 10 when my favourite part, the luminary ceremony begins. Hundreds of candles surround the track with messages of sorrow or great joy and the word HOPE creates a warm ambiance. A slideshow plays to remember those who have passed included my wonderful mother.
By 3 am we're exhausted but we keep pushing. With breaks in between we push until breakfast time. You slowly start packing up. Tents come down, blankets folded up and coolers get packed. Heading home to sleep is our main focus! And with that, another year is done. The memories will bring us through until next year. It's an experience that changes every year but it's one worth repeating.
