In Retrospect

So, today I sit at my computer with a cup of tea (Hao-Ya A to be exact) on this rainy, dreary day.  Yet, the weather only seems to make the colors of the leaves, that have begun their transformation to their beautiful Fall palette, pop more.  It made me think how the grey and dreary parts of life can make us realize just how good the colorful moments are.  This last year has been an interesting one, and I will start my blog posting with a little (ok, who am I kidding, I rarely EVER write anything that can be described as little) recap of this year.

Much of my year has been consumed with Fundraising and other activities related to The Dempsey Challenge.  If you do not know what this is, well, you must have been hiding under a rock.  It is a fundraising event for The Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing.  This year it is a two day event, which means on Saturday, I will be running a 5K with my family, and then Sunday riding 100 miles on my bike with my husband and our friend, AJ Riley.  It is going to be a blast.  Getting there has not always been. 

Last year I did this as my first ever fundraising experience.  I had done Susan Komen walks several times before, but these were always done through Tom's work, and I just went and participated.  Never actually did any fundraising.  So, I signed up to ride the 50 mile last year, which I ended up bumping up to the 100 mile ride.  I had never ridden further than probably 15 or 20 miles in a day when I signed up.  Due to a couple of flats in the first 10 miles, and my lack of hill climbing experience, we completed a 72 mile course.  But, in the process of fundraising, I got over $10,000 in donations from friends, family and complete strangers.  The reward (aside from the warm fuzzy feeling of helping others) was a semi-private ride with Patrick Dempsey, the charity's name sake, and the pro riders that came out for the event.  It was an interesting ride to say the least, but that story is something that I may choose to share later, or may keep to myself and those closest to me.  This year, I started out by signing up at the end of January.  I felt like I had a target on me.  One I had placed there myself perhaps, but a target none the less. 

So, I was off and running with my fundraising.  This year I brought backup.  I formed a team.  My friend and co-hort, Dee Hymel helped me to name our team The Buddha Rubbers.  It's a very long story and one that has many twists and turns, as well as one that is best left to the imagination.  I brought on my husband, my three kids, my mom, Dee & her daughter, and some Facebook/Twitter friends.  We had a hell of a year.  Dee and I had fun going back and forth over who would be # 1 fundraiser (in the end it was her, and I am truly proud of her and her efforts) , but as a team, we watched our numbers go up EVERY SINGLE week.  Good stuff, right?  Raising money for cancer patients to receive free assistance and education and other services that most never get the chance to have?  We thought so.  Not everyone agreed.  Here come the rainy days...You see, in the mix we have some folks who think that we were doing what we were doing for the wrong reasons.  Yes.  I admit it.  Dee and I are both fans of Patrick.  But, neither of us do this, as it is so often accused, as a way to get Patrick's attention.  We are both happily married with families of our own, as is Patrick.  Unfortunately all three of us have the connection of having to watch someone (or many someones) that we love immensely suffer with cancer.  Our stories are all different, but in the end, the common denominator is Cancer.  I honestly don't think I know anyone whose life has not been touched by this evil beast.  I got involved in this to do something about what I had always felt was an untouchable foe.  When I saw the work that the Dempsey Center does for those families dealing with Cancer, I was immediately hooked. 

So we sat back and did what we were doing, all the while dodging complaints that we were doing things for the wrong reason or lying about the cause itself.  Seriously?!  You want to badmouth a cancer charity?  Or people who are working their asses off to raise money to help strangers so that they have a little comfort in the storm?  Wow!  The motivation behind these attacks may be jealousy, or just genuine ignorance, but either way, it was infuriating.  Add onto that the several friends that have been diagnosed or re-diagnosed with Cancer this year.  My friend Dave, who had been battling Lung Cancer and now has to add a couple of brain tumors, that he has named Steve and Bob, to add to his fight.  An acquaintance from Vermont who is battling his own Brain tumor fight.  My friend and teammate Lynne, who just a couple of weeks ago found out that she has breast cancer.  But through these storms, the Fall leaves shone even brighter.   Through all of this, I have made some VERY wonderful friends.  From complete strangers whose love and support have helped The Buddha Rubbers to raise over $29,000 this year to friends old and new whose love and support have gotten me through life's up and downs.  My friend Carmen, for instance.  Our morning phone calls can range from talking about last night's episode to solving major life crises to exchanging drink recipes or listening to a bitch session.  The new friends I have found at The Demspey Center, the staff and the patients that my fundraising affects, and Dee herself, who until Superbowl weekend of this year, was someone I had never come face to face with.  And most of all, my family.  My parents who have supported EVERYTHING I have ever done in my whole life, and loved me unconditionally.  My husband, Tom,  who is confident enough in our love that he KNOWS that although Patrick may have "the best hair in the world" according to some recent poll they talked about on Leno, my heart belongs to Tom Gilmartin, as it has since I was 17 years old.  He is the man who supports me even when he thinks I may be in over my head and is there to catch me should I fall.   And my children.  Caitlyn, 10, is the quintessential big sister in our household.  She can be bossy, but she has a heart of gold.  Nobody else better try to boss around her sister or brother, or watch out!  She has thrown herself full throttle into this year's fundraising.  Joined by her siblings they have done bake sales, car washes, a yard sale and countless lemonade stands.  Caitlyn made friendship bracelets and sold them at school.  Mara, 9, is a piece of work for sure.  She has more energy than anyone I have ever met.  She is bubbly and loves animals and she wears her heart on her sleeve.  Then there is Finn.  Closing in on 5 years old.  We thought we were done having children after the girls were born, but wow!  I am so glad we were not!  Finn makes us all laugh every single day.  Ask anyone who knows him, they wait for Finn stories.  You see, my family/friend tree is full of brightly colored leaves.  People who make my life bright.  People who shine even brighter when the sky is grey.   So go ahead, try to rain on my parade.  I'm going to sit back, drink my tea, and enjoy the leaves.