"Somewhere the hurting must stop..."

Well...it's that time of year again.  Time to lace up the runners and go out running.  I run often, but once a year, I run for a Canadian hero - for Terry Fox.  I run for cancer research - for hope.  I run for my family.  I run for my friends.  What can I say?  That Terry Fox gets to me...every single year.  I can't hear or watch his story without "getting something in my eye". 

Today marked the 30th anniversary of the Terry Fox Run - The Marathon of Hope.  This was my 9th year participating in the event (and I plan to continue the trend for as long as I can).  Terry Fox had died a few years before I was born, but his spirit somehow ignited inside of me and has continued to burn for 27 years.

His vision was so strong, and his courage will be next to impossible to surpass.  We all know his story, so I won't go into it right now.  Instead, I'll leave two poems.  Two poems which I believe Terry would love everyone to hear.  Enjoy and welcome to my blog!

What Cancer Cannot Do

Cancer is so limited....

It cannot cripple love,
It cannot shatter hope,
It cannot corrode faith,
It cannot destroy peace,
It cannot kill friendship,
It cannot suppress memories,
It cannot silence courage,
It cannot invade the soul,
It cannot steal eternal life,

It cannot Conquer the Spirit

author: unknown

Spending Your Dash

I read of a woman who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend,
She referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning.....to the end.

She noted that first came her date of birth
And spoke the following date with tears.
But she said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between the years.

For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth...
And now those who love her
Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own;
The cars...the house...the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard...
Are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what's true and real,
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more,
And love the people in our lives,
Like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,
And more often wear a smile...
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a while.

So, when your eulogy's being read,
With your life's actions to rehash...
Would you be proud of the things they say,
About how you spent your dash?

-Linda Ellis