The Greatest Miracle Of All

My mom's been in my thoughts a lot lately. She was recently diagnosed with skin cancer and it's the closest the nasty "C-word" has wedged itself into my life. Fortunately, it's only basal cell carcinoma which doesn't usually metastasize. Unfortunately, it was on her face and her first surgery was fairly significant (it was her nose and you've seen how prominent the noses are in my family!). The procedure went well, they performed some reconstructive work and, hopefully, she'll look beautiful as always once it fully heals. Yesterday she had her second surgery to remove it from her forehead and that procedure was much simpler, they got it all in one pass, and she's now free of the nasty-C.

She obviously didn't slather us in baby oil.

Before I go on to the real topic of this entry, two words of advice:

1) Use sunblock! Do not cover yourself in baby oil and roast like a turkey out in the summer sun!

2) If something looks wrong, feels odd, or your mind just tells you something's up - get it checked! My mom put it off and put it off. That made the surgery much more difficult as the growth had gone deeper and deeper into her skin.



As often as I go on tangents, I do try to bring it back to the focus of this blog: all the reasons I ride. And all this thinking about my mom has made me realize she's one of the reasons.

On my ALC fundraising page, I wrote:
"We all have our causes and this is just one of mine. This year, I reach out to you for support to make it one of yours."

There are so many causes. Fundraisers to support everything from Alzheimer's research to high-school band equipment (Seriously, what's happened to our school system funding? When I was a kid, the school supplied our equipment - at least some of it. I don't care what they say, the arts ARE important!). We all support a number of these efforts. Whether it's because our lives have been personally affected by an illness or simply because a friend's church is collecting Christmas gifts for needy families (hint: kill two birds with one stone - gifting band equipment for the holidays will cover both fundraisers).

But how do we choose? Why do we choose?

I may never have breast cancer but
I have supported the cause.

I don't know those answers and, for those sponsoring my ride, they've chosen to make this one of their causes to support this year. In the end, it doesn't matter how or why we choose. It just matters that we choose. As difficult as times can be for us... as far as we sometimes have to stretch our dollars... as our free time seems to dwindle down to nothing... we're all still pretty darn fortunate. I can say that with quite a bit of certainty because if you're reading this blog, chances are good you're doing it from your own computer... which some consider a luxury. Or from a work computer... which means you have a job. And you may be doing it from your kitchen table while you have Rachel Ray on in the background.... that means you've got a roof over your head, a kitchen, a table, a television and maybe even cable or satellite. And maybe you've had cancer and through amazing advances in treatment you've, thankfully, survived... and that treatment was possible through your insurance. I won't continue... you understand.

My first rescue dog - Sam

Just like you, I've had my causes over the years. Sometimes it's been similar to my AIDS/LifeCycle effort by walking in an event raising funds & awareness for breast cancer. Other times it's been attendance at an HRC dinner where I enjoy a good meal, wonderful entertainment and the proceeds go to support equal/civil rights. I've volunteered at homeless shelters on Thanksgiving and cooked up about 400 lbs. of mashed potatoes back in the kitchen. In Chicago, I mentored a ninth-grader in a program that helped kids get out of their inner-city schools and gave them full scholarships to some of the best private schools in the city. I've thrown canned goods into my grocery cart to donate to food drives and purchased radio-controlled cars to be placed underneath a Christmas tree I'll never see. And there's always the incredible joy that's graced my life by all the pups I've adopted from shelters or rescue services over the years.

Mother of four.
Caregiver for many, many more.

The how's or why's don't matter. It's just the fact that we do something. If we can. When we can. As much as we can. And this is something I learned from my mom. She was a giver. A caretaker. An activist (I held my first picket sign when I was five years old... it was the 70's... I think many of us were given picket signs in place of "binkies"). She loved so many. Sometimes I think maybe too many. I mean, she was my mom - I wanted all her attention. I wanted that little extra bit of money to go toward my Christmas stocking. And spending a Saturday morning in a picket line wasn't exactly the same as a day at the park. But then I remember how many lives she touched. The communities she helped. The playground equipment she saved. Or the jobs that were created or bettered or saved because she stood in the cold (we were a United Auto Workers family). Even when she went back to school to get a degree and changed careers, she did it with the goal of giving. Of caring. Of assisting. Of contributing to the greater good.

Mom, I love you. Thank you for everything you did for me.

That extra money may not have gone to my Christmas stocking. And that Saturday may have been spent carrying a sign on a sidewalk. And I may not have understood why you did it. I may have been selfish and wanted something for myself.

Then I realize, I did get something from all of that. I got the gift of caring for and helping others. And that is the greatest gift you could have given me.

You're my miracle.