This weekend

By now all of you know that this coming Sunday I will be climbing 69 flights of stairs to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Foundation. Myself along with 230+ teammates and hundreds of other Seattle area residents are climbing to raise hope and money for this incredible foundation.

And as most of you also know, one of my very best friends, and a woman I count as the closest to me, fought her own battle with Cancer. Thankfully and by Gods grace, Dawn has been in remission and continues to be a happy, healthy, loving wife & mother.

Dawn and I are actually cousins by marriage, but our bond goes far beyond family ties. We both became mothers for the first time within 5 weeks of each other and have had the joy of watching our children grow up together. I do not have siblings, but if I could imagine what having a sister feels like - this is it. Someone asked me recently what makes her my best friend. My answer was quick and simple. "We love the same things. Our children, families, and each other."

The fact that Dawn has been in remission for over 3 years, does not remove me from the feeling I felt when I found out that Dawn had been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease. Our children we're barely old enough to crawl, and had not experienced their 1st Christmas. As you can imagine, it was devastating.

I also will not ever forget November 1st, 2004 - it's was cold and raining as I was driving down 518 when my phone rang. I had been expecting this call, after all, Dawn always called me after her appointments. As I picked up the phone and said "hello" in the hesitant but hopeful tone that I'd become accustom to, I heard Dawns voice. All she could manage to say was "The cancer is gone." This was the first moment in my life that I'd ever burst into grateful, happy, relieved tears. As I drove down the freeway, neither of us said anything else. We just cried together.

5 months after she was deemed "in remission", I stood with her as a bridesmaid while she married the love of her life. There have been only a handful of moments in my life that brought me that much joy. I am incredibly proud of her.

That being said, of course I will have Dawn in my heart as I tackle those 69 flights. But there is also another very important person who is motivating me to make it to the top. An old friend from high school, Scott, contacted me one day to ask if I'd like to join his team for the Big Climb. Of course I joined, knowing that I'd be able to see some old familiar faces and enjoy the day with good friends. Soon after, Scott emailed everyone on the team about his nephew Caleb. Caleb is barely a year old and already fighting Leukemia like a brave little man. The ironic part is, Caleb's family signed up to participate in the climb before he was diagnosed.

At this point, the plan is for Caleb to have chemo treatments for the next three years.

The first link below is to a KOMO 4 story about Caleb and his family. They are a truly inspiring group of people.

The second link is to my personal Big Climb web page. If you'd like to join us, we'd love to have you! We are attempting to have the largest team in attendance this Sunday. Registration is open through tonight at midnight. Participating in events like this helps your remember what the human spirit is about. Often in our busy lives, we forget about the truly important things, the things that will still be important in 50 years. It is definitely an opportunity to "give back".

Contact myself or our Team Captain, Scott @ atthefire@hotmail.com for more information. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and remember to send up a few prayers for the climbers and patients alike.
http://www. komoradio. com/news/local/16666741. html

http://active. com/donate/2008bigclimb/bc08AHertel

I do my best to live by this quote, and I think it suits this cause well...

To laugh often and love much:
To win respect of intelligent people
And the affection of children;
To earn the approbation of honest critics
And endure the betrayal of false friends;To appreciate beauty;To find the best in others;
To give one's self;
To leave the world a little better,
Whether by a healthy child,
A garden patch,
Or redeemed social condition;
To have played and laughed with enthusiasm
And sung with exultation;
To know even one life has breathed easierBecause you have lived...This is to have succeeded.

Ralph Waldo Emerson


Always,
Adrianne