Last night

See,I promised I would be back again soon. LOL. Last night I attended the Relay for Life of Midland County kick-off party!! My job as part of the Team Development committee was to man the check in table with my jersey-shore loving friend and Team D partner Josh.....better know to me as DJ Joshy T. We checked in the team captains and gave them the proper name tag depending on their years as a Team Captain. I need to stop here for a second and give a quick shout out to my AWESOME husband!! I am so thankful to you Shane for coming with me last night and supporting this cause that you know is so important to me. I could not attend the meetings and all the side projects with out your support! I love you! OK, now back to the story. We talked and mingled with the Team Captains and everyone else checking in. Josh spilled Penny's drink,wait did I say that out loud, Sorry Josh had to throw it in there, After our job there was done we went inside to set with the rest of our teammates and friends who came out. I myself was floored at the turnout. If you have every doubted just how many people of every age,race,religion that cancer touches all you need to do is attend one of these events. We had the biggest hall and there was hardly a seat left. We began our celebration with an introduction of the Planning Committee. We made a "tunnel of hope" for everyone to run thru. Good times. We listened to the Chair and Co-Chair talk about our hopes for the event. If any of you are not familiar with our event, It's huge. Not just like Michigan huge but like NATIONAL huge. We have as many teams in our little ol' town's event as some of the events in California. We met and exceeded ALL of our goals set for us last year. We had 50 teams in 2009 at the 2010 Relay we doubled that and had 105!!!! We were expected to make right around $190,000 as a event. We raised $230,000 to help fund the fight against cancer. We honored over 200 survivors. Just amazing!!! Nothing makes me feel better that knowing I am doing something to help! After all the hoopla of just how amazing of an event this will be we got to the keynote speaker. She bravely got up there and told us her story of being a caregiver to her 14 year old son who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. she told us of his battle with his faith and knowing that when all was said and done he was without a DOUBT going to meet Jesus. How she had to answer his questions on how he would know how to get to Jesus once he had passed. It was an amazing story I wish everyone one could hear. She told us of spending time with him and sharing those special treasured moments that we soon to come to an end. she told us of the hardest part for her. It was letting her son "sleep his way to Jesus" his pain had gotten so intolerable that he couldn't take it anymore so he chose to be sedated. That was hard for her because they could no longer have those conversations she has come to love. Little did she know her story was touching a special part of everyone there. For me it was nice to hear a story from a person who truly believed that God was in control. Despite the fact that she was watching her son die she knew that this was all part of the master plan!She spoke of her son's never ending humor. The T-shirt he chose to be buried in said"I'm so excited to be here". That still makes me laugh but he was. He was excited to be there because that meant he has went to be with Jesus. Exactly as God had planned the day he was created. Her story was beautiful . After she was done we went on to do our own remembrance ceremony where we lit a candle for whomever we relay for. This was to show everyone that when all those lights are lit they give off a bright light and let everyone know they are not alone. There is one thing I can say for sure. Every time I go to a American Cancer Society event I leave a better person. I leave a with a renewed sense of my part. and like my favorite quote says " I am only one,but yet I am one. I can not do everything but I can do something"- Helen Keller. The part I play in the fight against this nasty disease is small but it's something and as long as I can I will do my part to fight it! I will not sit and complain about how much it bothers me every time I hear of another person struck with cancer. I will do something about it!!