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Wage Hope

There are only 28 days remaining until we wage hope at the Purple Stride event in Debbie’s honor.    Team Deb Force Five was the top fundraising team in 2016 and the 3rd place team in 2015.  Since her diagnosis in 2015, she became an advocate for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PANCAN.) Most importantly, it is our team goal to continue the mission and support the work of PANCAN.  PANCAN’s goal is to double survival of pancreatic cancer patient’s by 2020.    This is a huge undertaking.  Furthermore they cannot achieve this goal without our collective support.

Here’s the link where you can donate or sign up: http://support.pancan.org/goto/DebForceFive

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What do Luciano Pavrotti, Count Basie, Joan Crawford, Micheal Landon, Patrick Swayze, Steve Jobs, Alan Rickman, Dizzy Gillespie, Sally Ride and Bill Hicks all have in common?  Pancreatic Cancer.  It is a disease that does not discriminate against race, income level or even age.  Consequently,  I had always thought of it as a disease of the elderly, until my healthy friend was diagnosed at 41.  It was an enlightenment I could have done without.

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Faced with the diagnosis of Stage IV pancreatic cancer, Debbie chose to live life to the fullest.  She was a huge advocate for PANCAN and the great services they provide.  Significantly, she was the keynote speaker at last year’s Purple Stride event.  In her two year fight against pancreatic cancer, Debbie taught me and many others a lot about what it means to live, love, fight, persevere and be brave all with grace and dignity.  Debbie will always be a beacon of light in the many lives she touched including mine.  This event is a wonderful opportunity to honor her and support her beautiful family.  Lastly, I look forward to walking, running, skipping, hopping or dancing with you to wage hope.

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Be Brave

Be Brave, be bold, be unapologetically you!   It’s quite the call to action isn’t it?  But what exactly does it mean?  To me, being brave doesn’t mean mustering up the courage to bungee jump or sky dive. I mean, I guess in another context, it absolutely does mean bravery.  Rather, I’m talking about the bravery it takes to get out of bed after life’s darkest night’s.  When life has thrown everything it has got in your face, but you still get up, put your make up on, rock your heels and smile, that my friend is bravery.  Yeah, it isn’t jumping out of a plane or anything like that, but sometimes not giving up is brave.

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Speaking of brave, last Wednesday I wrote about my first Xtend Barre experience.  What I may not have shared is that by early Friday, my abs were so sore I could not roll out of bed.  In addition to basic movements, I couldn’t cough, sneeze or laugh without significant pain.  I was that sore!

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I’m obviously glutton for punishment or stupid because I went back for more Barre torture tonight.  There was no bosu ball madness in class tonight, which my abs are quite happy about.  Adam is a phenomenal teacher.  I thoroughly enjoy the class, but am certain that by Friday morning I’ll be unable to walk.

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Whether it is returning to a fitness class that kicked your butt or holding your head high after disappointment, be brave.  Harness your inner shield maiden or warrior , take risks and own your future.  “Audentes fortuna iuvat”  remeber Virgil’s wise words “Fortune favors the brave.”