This weekend was a challenging one for me. I had Relay for Life on Friday night into Saturday morning. I walked from about 1:30-4 with flutterbyefred. The earlier events were challenging. I was almost didn’t do the Survivor lap. At 6:00, I didn’t have anyone there to support me. I knew it wouldn’t be easy to do because the last one I did I walked around with Chris. Shortly before it started, Liz and rjrbytes walked in. I was very surprised when I saw Liz. She was supposed to be at Dance Theatre for a 6:00 call. Robert had talked to Karla and explained the situation to her. She was fine with it that Liz showed up late. I owe her a huge thank you tomorrow. Whit was supposed to be there for the Survivor lap, but the weather and traffic made her late. After DT, Liz and Robert returned for the luminary ceremony. This year there was a slide show and then we walked around the track while they read the names. That part I wasn’t crazy about because it was hard to hear the names. The fist two laps around I was fine. I was almost at tears, but never cried. On the third lap, I had just walked past Lauren, Sonia, Adam, and Chris’s luminaries when I heard them read Lauren’s name. Then I completely lost it. Liz was walking and chatting with Nancy (a lady who works for Chartwells). I had been walking around the track holding Robert’s hand as tight as I could. When I broke down, Robert just held me while I cried. Then Whit came up and said she was stealing me. While I was hugging her, I still held Robert’s hand. I don’t know exactly why, but Liz said Robert could stay for a part of the night if he would like. So Liz, Robert, Whit, and I sat at a table and chatted/played cards until 1:00. Robert decided it was time to head home then because he found out I don’t let my friends drive home after 2:00 am. I just don’t feel comfortable with that. Anyway, once Robert left, Liz and I started walking. Whit was exhausted so she went to lay down. Liz and I got tired of walking in just a straight circle, so we changed things up every once in a while. We would walk backwards for a lap, or do the grapevine around once. We got some weird looks, but then again it was also 2:00 am. I don’t know exactly how much money our team raised overall. I have a feeling it’s about $385. I don’t know if Amber or Tolea ever turned in money. I’m guessing they didn’t. On Saturday, I worked it out that I would go home with Whit, then my parents would take me to Black River Falls on Sunday. Liz and Robert would meet me there to bring me back to school. My friends just didn’t want me to drive for 3.5 hours alone after a funeral. I really don’t blame them. After Relay was over on Saturday, the 4 of us went out to Perkins for breakfast because none of us really liked what was at Relay and Robert had cereal earlier that morning.
On the drive home with Whit, I dozed on and off from RF to Tomah. I barely remember her getting on the interstate. I tried to keep my eyes open a few times, but I just couldn’t do it. After Tomah I was awake, and bouncy for the rest of the day. Around Portage, Lisa called Whit’s cell phone. I asked Whit if I could tell Lisa that John had been deployed because I thought it was the right thing to do.
The funeral on Sunday was very sad but happy at the same time. We were all sad to say goodbye to Chris, but we were all happy that she wasn’t suffering anymore and was in a better place. Throughout the funeral, there was Chris’s sense of humor. People kept saying that they knew Chris was there because she would never miss a party/celebration/big gathering of people. During the funeral, I don’t remember who said it, but they hoped we would always think of Chris as a survivor even though she has passed away. That woman was the strongest person I have ever met. If she isn’t considered a survivor, then I can’t consider myself one. She lived more with cancer than some healthy people do. My thoughts and prayers still go out to the McHugh family and all the people Chris has touched.
I returned to school about 9:15. Liz, Robert, and I went to DQ for some ice cream. None of us felt like sitting down again, so we stood in the lobby eating our Blizzards. I was online last night and Lisa IMed me to tell me thank you for telling her about John and then giving her his address. She and I started talking about JD which gave us common ground. Tonight she and I are talking about her and John. It’s kinda weird, but nice. I think part of it is I look at Chris’s life, and I don’t think she had a single regret and she lived a wonderful life. I hope that when my time is up in this world, that people can say the same about me. I don’t want to sit around when I’m older wishing things between Lisa and I would have ended differently.
I went to the flower shop this afternoon to get some thank you gifts for Liz and Robert. I know I couldn’t have been easy to live with these past two weeks, but they were my rock and were there for me everytime I needed them. I couldn’t ask for better friends.
Well, it’s now after midnight. At least I don’t have to get up and go to class in the morning. I should get up at a decent time though to get my reading done for my quiz I have at 12:30 and practice my storytelling a little bit. We’ll see how much I get done. I did write my two thank yous tonight as well. I wrote one to the Lion’s Club for sponsoring my team for Relay and then one to Liz’s Aunt Linda because she gave me a gift card to Applebee’s for doing rides with Spencer and Miranda at MOA. I’m tired and am going to climb up into my nice cozy bed now. Write more later.