Category Archives: cancer

June 3, 2011

Tonight’s the night…

By Canadian Bald Guy

…that my Relay for Life takes place.

We’ve raised over $3,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society thus far, earning the five of us a “Rising Star” award as a team.  I’m extremely proud of that accomplishment.

I exceeded my online goal of $500, which in itself was double what the Relay website initially suggested per person.  I’m really thankful to the number of awesome readers/Facebook followers who made donations to help me do this. You all rock.

Tonight will be tough in some aspects, fun in others.

I’ve been asked to light the first luminary in honor of mom…that’s gonna be tough. I’ve also been asked if everybody in my family will participate with me…so that’s definitely going to make things a bit easier.

It’s scheduled to be cold and rainy…that’s gonna be tough. My dad is sick and isn’t expecting to stay very long, so if it’s as uncomfortable as the forecast expects it to be, he’ll just take the kids home with him and they can sleep at his house.  That part kinda sucks, but we’re planning for the worst.  Hopefully the rain holds off and the temperatures rise, but it’s doubtful.

I’m hoping the night ends up being more fun than emotional. I’m really thankful that Sunshine will be there with me through it all…I couldn’t imagine doing it without her.

So if you’re not doing much tonight, Sunshine and I will probably be tweeting throughout the evening from the event (as long as our phone batteries survive).  You can follow us here:

More than likely we’ll have pics on Monday.  That’s the hope, anyway…keep your fingers crossed.  See you then…

2 comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in cancer

May 18, 2011

Humbled and Honored

By Canadian Bald Guy

I got the following message sent to me by my cousin yesterday:

“Hey sweets. The Relay for Life committee is wondering if you would light the first luminary in memory of your mom at the Luminary Ceremony. Let me know.”

I nearly broke down into tears as soon as I read the words (which would have been awkward as I was working at the time). I would think the rationale behind it was that my mom passed away very recently, but I don’t really care about the reason.  To be asked to light the first luminary (out of hundreds and hundreds) is a tremendous honor, and I’m extremely humbled that they thought of me to do it.

The luminaries I lit for my cousin & my mom at my first Relay in 2008.

Luminaries are candles that are placed in special bags that bear the names of cancer survivors and loved ones who have lost their battle with cancer. At each Relay For Life event, the luminaries are lit during (what is normally) a very moving ceremony at dusk. A luminary is meant to provide light and inspiration for the participants all night long as they walk around whatever track they are at.

There have been times over the past few months since mom passed away where I really thought I had been able to move on an remember mom in a very positive way. What I’m finding now, especially as Mother’s Day just passed and with her burial tomorrow morning and the Relay in a couple of weeks, is that I’m still struggling with the loss. 

I realize that there’s no set path to take.  I understand that everybody grieves differently. So I’m doing my best to not beat myself up too much over feeling the way I’m feeling.  I’m also doing my best to not allow the sadness to take over and keep me in this funk of mine.

Mom would not want me to think about her this much…she was overly selfless like that. Mom would want me to smile with memories of happier times and do whatever I needed to do in order to enjoy life to the fullest and be the man that I want to be.

So while I sit and reflect on this great honor that the Relay for Life committee has given me, I will also reflect on the great times I shared with mom over the course of my lifetime. I will use those happy memories to help get me out of whatever funk I’m in and back to being myself.  I owe it to mom, I owe it to Sunshine, I owe it to my children, I owe it to dad, and I owe it to myself.

I deserve to be happy. And I think this request, in a round-about way, has helped me to remember that.

12 comments   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in cancer, death

May 6, 2011

Motherless Day

By Canadian Bald Guy

Sunday is going to really suck.

Obviously, this will be my first Mother’s Day without mom…and as we creep closer and closer to the day, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to go through my normal daily activities without having her face flash through my mind.

I’m trying to move on with my life, but I know there are still some difficult times to come. 

I need to go through the hundreds upon hundreds of photos that I have been given of my mom and our family, and scan them so they’re on a disc.  I was on a mission the night she passed away…scanning photos for the funeral home’s video until 4 o’clock in the morning.  The problem, though, is that I haven’t been able to look at her picture since.  I’m hoping I can get the courage to do it sooner rather than later.

And then we need to bury her ashes.  The ground was frozen and not in good condition to dig up so the funeral home will contact us (probably some time this month, I would expect) so we can have a burial service. That finality…watching the urn lowered into the ground…will probably be the toughest part of this whole ordeal.

There are still times when I forget she’s gone. Somebody came up to me last night, for example, and offered condolences.  I had to remind myself that mom wasn’t home…she wasn’t on the other end of the phone…she wasn’t watching American Idol with dad.

So as Sunday approaches, please make that extra effort to tell your mom just how much she means to you. Life is too short to take her for granted.

******

I’m currently at 65% of my online goal thanks to some really great people. Thank you!!! Hopefully we can reach the online goal of $500 by June 3rd (only FOUR WEEKS TO GO!!!).

Please join me in the fight against cancer by supporting my participation in Relay For Life now. It’s really easy – just click on this link.

Thanks for your continuing support!


6 comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , | posted in cancer, death

May 3, 2011

Relay for Life – update

By Canadian Bald Guy

For those unaware, my beautiful mother lost her battle with cancer on February 20th, 2011. I will walk and continue to walk annually in honor of her.

I am really excited about participating in this year’s Canadian Cancer Society Relay For Life in my home town of Amherst, Nova Scotia because every step I take in Relay raises money to help the Canadian Cancer Society save lives.

Please join me in the fight against cancer by supporting my participation in Relay For Life now. It’s really easy – just click on this link.

I appreciate any assistance you have in helping me reach my online goal of $500. And if you’d like to join my team (even if you can’t actually physically be there), join up and raise money on your own! It’s not about physically being there, it’s all about the cause.

Online pledging is secure and it saves the Society money by reducing administrative costs – it means the money you give can go further to help the fight against cancer.

I’m currently at 60% of my online goal thanks to some really great people. Thank you!!! Hopefully we can reach the online goal of $500 by June 3rd.

Thanks for your continuing support!

Leave a comment   |  tags: , | posted in cancer

April 13, 2011

The Anniversary

By Canadian Bald Guy

Today is going to be tough for my dad.  REALLY tough.  It’s going to be tough for me, too.  It’s going to be one of those days where you wish you could be alone but know you need to face the world.

Today would have been my parents’ 43rd wedding anniversary.

I had initially forgotten about today, to be honest. Thank goodness I’ve got reminders set-up on my computer because I think my dad is really going to need me today.  I’ll be in my home town this morning for a dentist appointment, anyway…so dropping by or visiting him won’t be a problem.

I just don’t think I’ll know what to say to him.  I mean…how do you bring it up without making the situation worse?

I want to ask him how he’s making out, but I think that might trigger the tears.  I want to see if he needs anything, but that might trigger the tears.  I think anything I ask about today might trigger tears, actually…but I’m pretty sure my dad needs me today and maybe the tears will be a good thing.

This is one of those days where I wish I didn’t have to go through.  I wish I could continue on…completely unaware of what day it actually is.  That old saying “ignorance is bliss” really is true at times, because this is one of those days where memories will be forced upon me…where thoughts and images of my mom will be floating through my head…where the realization of her passing will again hit me like a ton of bricks.

Happy anniversary, mom and dad.

I miss you, mom.

xox

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On a related note, I wanted to give everybody an update on how my online fundraising efforts were going so far on the Relay for Life I’m doing in June in memory of my mom.

For those unaware, my beautiful mother lost her battle with cancer on February 20th, 2011. I will walk and continue to walk annually in honor of her.

I am really excited about participating in this year’s Canadian Cancer Society Relay For Life in my home town of Amherst, Nova Scotia because every step I take in Relay raises money to help the Canadian Cancer Society save lives.

Please join me in the fight against cancer by supporting my participation in Relay For Life now. It’s really easy – just click on this link.

I appreciate any assistance you have in helping me reach my online goal of $500. And if you’d like to join my team (even if you can’t actually physically be there), join up and raise money on your own! It’s not about physically being there, it’s all about the cause.

Online pledging is secure and it saves the Society money by reducing administrative costs – it means the money you give can go further to help the fight against cancer.

I’m currently at 58% of my online goal thanks to some really great people. Thank you!!! Hopefully we can reach the online goal of $500 by June 3rd.

Thanks for your continuing support!

6 comments   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in cancer, death, marriage

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