The Simple Things

Walking. It's such a simple thing to do. As children, it was our first real mode of transportation. As adults, it is a form of exercise and stress-reducer. One foot in front of the other. It might be slow, it might take time, but so long as you continue to put one foot in front of the other, you will reach your destination.

I have signed up again this year to take part in the Seattle 3-Day for the Cure. This is a 60 mile walk over three days (roughly 20 miles per day) benefiting the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. I have pledged to raise $2,300 before September 16th when I start my 3-Day journey in Seattle with thousands of other participants.


$2,300 and 60 miles may seem like a lot to ask from one person. I know the first year I took on this challenge, it seemed almost impossible. How am I, little ol' me, going to persuade people to hand me money for charity? I start by asking, continue by entertaining, and - if push comes to shove - end by begging. Most of the time though, it doesn't take much persuading. Breast cancer is, after all, the #2 cancer killer among women. It is a scary fact that every woman lives with every time she does her self-check and thinks she might feel a lump. #2. The only thing that beats breast cancer is lung cancer. I'd love to see this number fall off the map. I've known too many people over the years who have been diagnosed with this awful disease. My goal in walking and in raising funds is to raise awareness and give research a chance to find a cure before the next generation of little girls grows up and has to face the #2 cancer killer of women. Mine is a simple task.


Today starts my campaign to educate while I raise funds in preparation for the 3-Day walk starting in Seattle on September 16th. Tomorrow starts my walk training, rain or shine (though, I'm really hoping for shine!). If any of you are in the Seattle area and ever feel the need to go on an extended (or short, I'm not picky!) walk one day, please let me know. I'm always looking for walking buddies! Or, if you've ever wondered what it would be like to walk between cities (like, say, from Bellevue to Issaquah or Bellevue to Seattle or Redmond to Issaquah) don't hesitate to let me know you're interested. Those are just some of the walks I plan on doing this year. 60 miles is a long way - longer than you realize until you're on day three with 5 miles to go and you're legs and feet hurt so bad that curb in front of you might as well be Mount Everest. But in the end, it's worth it. Because walking? It's a simple thing to do.


The difficult thing is getting a diagnosis of Cancer. Making choices you'd never thought you'd have to make and then watch your family worry while you're terrified is difficult. Donating money and walking miles is simple by comparison.


If you have a moment and some spare cash, please consider helping me to reach my goal of $2300 by clicking on the Donate button to the right. Let's do what we can to help those that we can. Thank you for joining me on this journey!