We made it through. 7pm to 7am! Participating in Relay For Life this year was a really great experience and I did it with the most supportive friends anyone could ask for. It's hard to put into words how it felt to be there with such a wide range of emotions accompanying the night.
Before the event really began there was a Survivors' Reception where all the survivors had dinner and listened to a couple personal stories about why people relay. It was great to sit down and chat with other survivors. Others who have been through a similar situation. Others who know what it's like to sit down with a doctor and have them change your life forever. It was difficult listening to a girl about the same ages as me struggle to get through telling the entire group her story. She couldn't have been speaking to a more supportive group though. Everyone there understood just how hard it was as they themselves had been there or supported a loved one going through it.
To kick off the event they begin with the Survivors' Victory Lap. Anyone who has ever been diagnosed with cancer, whether they are still fighting, just finished treatment, or have been cancer free for years, participates in the very first lap. Often the focus is on those who have passed away from the disease, this lap is a way to celebrate and recognize all those who have been successful in their fight. It makes you feel like you've actually accomplished something. It's a reminder that yes, I did have to fight to be here. All the survivors get a yellow Relay For Life t-shirt, rather than a white one, and wear a blue ribbon that says "Survivor". It's kind of nice to have it out there in the open. Unlike always having to explain why I'm on crutches, which can get frustrating and exhausting.
Another big part of Relay For Life is the Luminary Ceremony at 10pm, where they line the track with personalized bags and light the candles within them. Luminaries are purchased either in memory of someone who has passed away from cancer or in honour of someone who has survived or is still fighting. I felt special having my very own luminary purchased by my friend. Once all of the luminaries were lit, I got to light my own, they turn off all other lights so the track is lit solely by the luminaries. Then everyone was gathered for a moment of silence followed by a very talented woman singing two beautiful songs. It was very emotional and it go to me. I'm not usually one to cry, at least not in front of people, so I think this may have been the first time one of my friends had ever seen me cry. The luminaries stay lit for the rest of the night and on our future laps around the track, we'd walk slowly and read all the messages written on them.
The only issue I ran into while the track was lit solely by the luminaries was that people could no longer see my crutches and occasionally bumped into them. Somehow this came up while we were talking to another team which ended up leading to my solution. This other team actually had glow sticks and were happy to give me a couple. We took the glow sticks and tied them to the ends of my crutches. They weren't super bright but it was enough to catch a person's eye so they were aware of them.
I could have done without the rain. It poured from about 12:30 - 3:00 am, let up for maybe 2 hours and then rained some more. It was a great night overall though. Great company, tons of food, perfect temperature and an obviously important cause. There's a good chance we'll do Relay For Life again but I'm not sure we'll stay all night. There wasn't much to do between 2am and 6am and the final lap at 7am was kind of anti-climactic. It was no different than any of our previous laps and there was probably only about 10% of the participants still there. I'd say more than anything, I would have more friends inclined to join us if they knew we weren't committing to the entire night. We'll see though. It's a whole year away.
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