Smith Family Ice Cream Scoop: Relay For Life

Saturday, June 05, 2010

Relay For Life

First of all, I have to thank everyone who donated and supported me and Aubrey in other ways too... we were able to raise more than we hoped because of kind and generous friends!

I am SO tired, and SO sore, and I have to get ready for girls camp, and I'm pretty sure moving my body right now is an impossible feat. I'm really glad I did this, though. I got to know people better, learned things about myself, and saw many brave cancer survivors and heard many inspiring stories.

I walked and walked and walked, and at 2:00 a.m. I ran for an hour. I was really tired after the running, but it was truly a nice break from walking for my body. My legs were saying, ah yes, now this is what we're used to. :) I walked 15 miles and ran 6, for a total of 21 miles, 84 laps around the track.

There was a boy there who was determined to run 160 laps in honor of his grandpa who died just 3 days ago. From his diagnosis to his final day was 160 days, so this runner wanted to fight through that many laps, to symbolize each day his grandpa fought cancer. His was running his final laps while I was running my 6 miles, and he was really struggling on his final lap. There were a couple of boys who joined him to encourage him, and I joined too. We encouraged him, and made him keep going that final lap (this is 40 miles... to put some perspective on it) and he made it. It was a neat experience... and the crazy thing was, he was back out there running again after a brief rest.

Aubrey didn't sleep a wink the entire night and had a blast walking 15 miles and running around playing with her group of friends (mostly kids from our ward). I was proud of her for her dedication to the relay and so glad she could do this with me.

I have pictures, but I'm far too tired to mess with that right now. I'll get some up another time... probably after girls camp. Thanks again for all of your encouragement and support!!

5 comments:

girlsmama said...: I am so proud of you! I can't even imagine what it would take to do that. You are amazing!; 9:15 PM
Rebecca Adams said...: Way to go! I've never done a Relay for Life, but Ryan's sister and her husband do one at Weber State in Ogden. I think it's for a great cause! :); 11:09 PM
Brenda said...: That sounds like a great experience! I'm glad you could do it!; 8:59 AM
Mike, Sha, Kenna, Kate, & Garrett said...: That is such a awesome thing to do. What a neat story about that boy. Love motivates us to do hard things.; 12:29 PM
Karey said...: Congratulations! Nice that you could do that with Aubrey. Have fun at girls camp. I'm glad my girls will be going without me this year!; 10:51 AM

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To Do Today

* Embrace this day with an enthusiastic welcome, no matter how it looks. The covenant with God to which you are true enables you to become enlightened by him, and nothing is impossible for you.
* When you are physically sick, tired, or in despair, steer your thoughts away from yourself and direct them, in gratitude and love, toward God.
* In your life there have to be challenges. They will either bring you closer to God and therefore make you stronger, or they can destroy you. But you make the decision of which road you take.
* First and foremost, you are a spirit child of God. If you neglect to feed your spirit, you will reap unhappiness. Don't permit anything to detract you from this awareness.
* You cannot communicate with God unless you have first sacrificed your self-oriented natural man and have brought yourself into the lower levels of meekness, to become acceptable for the Light of Christ.
* Put all frustrations, hurt feelings, and grumblings into the perspective of your eternal hope. Light will flow into your soul.
* Pause to ponder the suffering Christ felt in the Garden of Gethsemane. In the awareness of the depth of gratitude for him, you appreciate every opportunity to show your love for him by diligently serving in his Church.
* God knows that you are not perfect. As you suffer about your imperfections, he will give you comfort and suggestions of where to improve.
* God knows better than you what you need. He always attempts to speak to you. Listen, and follow the uncomfortable suggestions that he makes to us--everything will fall into its place.
* Avoid any fear like your worst enemy, but magnify your fear about the consequences of sin.
* When you cannot love someone, look into that person's eyes long enough to find the hidden rudiments of the child of God in him.
* Never judge anyone. When you accept this, you will be freed. In the case of your own children or subordinates, where you have the responsibility to judge, help them to become their own judges.
* If someone hurts you so much that your feelings seem to choke you, forgive and you will be free again.
* Avoid at all cost any pessimistic, negative, or criticizing thoughts. If you cannot cut them out, they will do you harm. On the road toward salvation, let questions arise but never doubts. If something is wrong, God will give you clarity but never doubts.
* Avoid rush and haste and uncontrolled words. Divine light develops in places of peace and quiet. Be aware of that as you enter places of worship.
* Be not so much concerned about what you do, but do what you do with all your heart, might, and strength. In thoroughness is satisfaction.
* You want to be good and to do good. That is commendable. But the greatest achievement that can be reached in our lives is to be under the complete influence of the Holy Ghost. Then he will teach us what is really good and necessary to do.
* The pain of sacrifice lasts only one moment. It is the fear of the pain of sacrifice that makes you hesitate to do it.
* Be grateful for every opportunity to serve. It helps you more than those you serve.
* And finally, when you are compelled to give up something or when things that are dear to you are withdrawn from you, know that this is your lesson to be learned right now. But know also that, as you are learning this lesson, God wants to give you something better.

from "Unleashing the Dormant Spirit by F. Enzio Busche