My "Pink" Family...

A beautiful gift that I received today in the mail from Melanie. 

I have to tell you, if you have never done a 3-Day event it is the most Amazing thing to be as part of.  Last year was my first year participating in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure.  The first city that I walked in was Cleveland, seeing that it is the closest to where I am currently living.   I loved it so much and met some of the kindest people that you would ever want to meet that I decided to do it again.  ( Now here is the funny, scary, crazy part of it comes in to  play. )  I was 3 days away from walking in the Cleveland event.  I had been on Facebook posting all of my events & training that I was doing.  Through a friend of a friend I "met" Melanie Coen Finkner.  We started talking and she asked me if I would walk with her team & be her tent mate.  I had not even done one 3-Day event, and I was taking a huge leap of faith, going for another one in Washington DC.  Two 3-days in my first year.  It was difficult to raise the money that I needed and I skidded in at the last second with the funds that I needed, but what an awesome journey!   I have kept in touch with most of the people that I met in Cleveland and in DC.  Every one of the special souls that I have met along the way have become my extended family.  It's funny (not like LOL, but more like weird ) how fighting one of the ugliest, nasty and deadly diseases can bring you such Love, Friendship & Support.  I am not even someone who has personally been touched by breast cancer, but yet I have been effected and forever changed.  Watching my Mother and Grandmother go through their battles and knowing that Judy lost hers.  How can you just sit by and do nothing?  I started walking in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure because of three special women that touched my life in a profound way.   They each in their own way helped to make me who I am today.  Now, I walk for them and all the people that can't.  I want to serve as a voice for those that have lost theirs or who struggle to fight.  My "Pink" family continues to grow.  Each day through one of my connections another blossom appears on my Pink Family Tree.  I am forever grateful for each one of them, and the special gift their friendship brings into my life.