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July 19, 2022 - It's Not About the Race

When you find yourself on a journey with cancer, there is the journey, and there are moments along that journey that cause you to pause. It’s like a runner, who during the marathon, looks beyond the route to spot the hydration station. He can’t linger there, but he knows his body is telling him to grab the cup quickly without breaking stride. We are the runner.


I’ve never run a big race, but I can imagine what it’s like. I have friends who run, who pursue the next race or marathon, and I don’t think they are necessarily compelled because of the health factor. I believe they enjoy the exhilaration, the wind, the smell, the scenery, and yes – the challenge. Along the path, they meet or pass people who are going in the same direction – towards the finish line, anticipating what is at the end, either the trophy and celebration; or the sense of accomplishment that comes from just finishing.


Along the route, we are trained to look ahead, but our peripheral vision reveals those fleeting flashes of beauty found in the landscape. Our senses bring us the sounds of cheers, the smells of fresh cut grass. Our race, with cancer at our side, is not without those moments of inspiration, those quick flashes of beauty, peace or hope.


What happens in those moments is inspiring. Not like any great epiphany or earth-shattering event; just a private and personal awakening.


At the end of the day, Ed and I sit and watch for cardinals.  If we're lucky, one will come and perch on the feeder and look cautiously about as he pecks the seeds. I click the bird sound app on my phone and watch as another flies in. No big deal, but as that moment passes, I think of my mother and am inspired by her life. A simple distraction? Or, God’s message to “slow down”, find my center and cherish the memories?


Binging on 18 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy, I watch one of the main characters fight cancer, and wonder if the script writer is drawing from her own experience as the plot reveals how precious friendships are, and how they should never be taken for granted. In this moment, I am inspired by the loyal friendship I share with a few high school friends despite the miles between us. A diversion from life’s chaos? Or, God reminding me of the blessings of friendships?


Living in Arnaudville, I have realized that small town dynamics are no different from big metropolitan dynamics, just scaled and tailored to fit a smaller group of people. It’s kinda fun to speculate on who is running for office, who is dating whom, who is mad at whom. A mere disruption from the cancer journey? Or God communicating that In the midst of all of it, we can find inspiration from good and decent people who genuinely care about each other; who reach beyond the surface; beyond race, lifestyle, politics or culture to lift, elevate or encourage?


We’re in the race of a lifetime. We are competing against time, pain, fear, and an invisible destructive force called Cancer. At the end of the race, I know there will be a time to celebrate and time to evaluate our performance. But, I think most important, there will be time to reflect on all of the inspiring moments that randomly came along like sparks or fireflies in the dark – quick, personal moments that will last beyond the race itself. Stop and smell the roses, because it's not about the race.  No matter how bumpy and uneven the terrain, the beauty is in our peripheral vision. 

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