The Hope Diamonds

"When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure." - Peter Marshall

The 2012 Weekend to End Women's Cancers starts tomorrow. With my walking days behind me, I will spend the weekend working on the crew that supports the 5,000 women and men who will be making the 60K journey. Our theme for our hydration station this year is "The Hope Diamonds". Cath, Nan and I will be decked out in glittery black dresses with pink tights. We will wear sparkly hair clips and, at least in my case, glittery shoes. I've prepared five signs for our station, purchased a couple hundred plastic diamonds to sprinkle around the tables, a couple of thousand stickers and losts of tulle, pink glittery butterflies, and pink silk roses to decorate our station. Unfortunately, heavy rain is predicted for most of the weekend. Today I will be praying hard for a change in that forecast.

This will be the tenth time I have participated in this event - two times as a volunteer, four times as a walker and four times as crew. I am always inspired by the dedication and determination displayed by so many people. I dream of the day we won't need to do this event any more. The day when women's cancers will be a thing of the past. A day when my granddaughters will have and keep two healthy breasts throughout their long lives. And when that happens, we can turn the Weekend to End Women's Cancers into a different event - the Weekend to Celebrate the End of Women's Cancers. That's an event I'd love to attend.