I got to take part in an event on Tuesday night that was a little overwhelming. Every year, the Sault and Brimley play a basketball game with a lot events around it that are designed to help the Hospice House and the Road To Recovery van for Chippewa County. It is officially called Rivals vs. Cancer, but a lot of people just call it The Pink Game. The location rotates between Sault Ste. Marie and Brimley every year and this year, it was the Sault's turn to host it. The people behind the event do a really good job of getting everything together. There is a big tailgate dinner prior to the games, a silent auction, T-Shirts representing the event, a 50-50 drawing (Which Kelly Church won and donated $120 of her winnings back to the Road To Recovery van), and a half court shot contest (Kelly did not win that, but no one else did either so the money went to Hospice).
My surgery was supposed to be the Monday before the Pink Game, but I asked them to put it off a week, knowing that I wanted to go to this game. Not so much for the events around it, but for the game itself. Shane is a senior this year, and his team (Brimley) has held its own, winning last year and holding their own in previous games.
I got a surprise a few days prior to the game as one of the kids I coached a couple years ago on the freshman team called me and asked if I'd walk with him at the Pink Game. Between the two games, players from all the teams walk with an escort in honor of someone or in memory of someone. They get sponsors to raise money for the cause and typically, the escorts are people who have cancer or have beaten it. Jeff Monck was the player who I escorted. He is one of the rare players who makes it all the way to the varsity from the freshman team and not only did Jeff make the team, he is a starter this season. Jeff and I have a little history as he had decided that he wasn't going to play his sophomore year. I found about it and called him. We talked about his decision and the reasons behind it. I didn't order him to play or anything, but pointed out some of the reasons that he should stick it out. He eventually decided to stay and totally committed to it. He spent all summer in the gym and between last summer and this summer, he has dropped 40 pounds and has made himself into a solid player. To say that I'm proud of him would be an understatement.
Anyway, Kelly had contacted Bill Schomberg, the Sault varsity coach and approached him about sponsoring Jeff for the game. So getting to walk out at halftime was cool, but getting to walk out with Jeff was what made it special for me.
It was a little overwhelming. Jeff and
I were pretty close to the front of the line so we got to be out in
the gym as most of the other players came in with their escorts. As
I stood there, watching all the people come out, I began to notice
that there were a lot of people walking in memory of someone. It was
a very sobering experience to listen to the emcee announce all of
that. I remember hearing the applause when Jeff and I were
announced, but the coolest moment was when Sault High student Jessica
Jorgensen was announced. She is battling Leukemia and the round of
applause she received was deafening.
If I'm being honest, and I have tried to be throughout this blog, I have to admit that in years past, I've always looked at the events between the games as time consuming. I love watching basketball and usually have to go to work after the games, so when the games go long, it means that I have to hurry in order to get to work on time. I can tell you that you get a new perspective on it when you become a part of the battle. It becomes more personal and the events surrounding the game become more than than a side note. I hope that no one else ever has to learn that lesson, but I did.
My other learning experience came the following day. Kelly and I had been talking about Durable Power of Attorney documents to make sure that we had all of our bases covered, but up until Wednesday, it had all been talk. Kelly contacted one of our neighbors who is an attorney and she drew them up and dropped them off to Kelly at her work. It's funny how taking care of paperwork that is designed to go into effect only if something goes wrong can make you focus on all the things that could go wrong. Kelly and I went down to the Clerk's office to sign the papers in front of witnesses and have them notarized. I would rather have been getting a root canal than standing there trying to act like this didn't bother me. I know that it's in mine and Kelly's best interests to get it done, but that doesn't necessarily make it any easier to face the prospect that something bad could happen and you are acknowledging that possibility to the point that you are doing paperwork in case it does.
As the day draws closer, I find that my nerves show a little bit more. For example, the fact that I can't help my daughter Abbie with her science project (which was going to be a catapult), because of the timing of the surgery, is pissing me off to no end. I also lost one of our debit cards Wednesday evening and nearly gave myself a stroke trying to remember where I had put it. Kelly came to the rescue though, when she found it outside in the snow between the house and the garage. Why I would have set it there, I have no idea.
Along with the nerves and the minor bouts of panic, there are glimmers of hope too. Hope that the worst will be behind me and that life will go on as usual for a long, long time. “Just get through this,” I keep telling myself. “Just get through the chemo and radiation,” “Just get through the surgery.” “Just get through the last round of chemo after the surgery.” Even though I keep telling myself that, I plan to do more than just get through it. I plan to thrive after this business is done. I realized the other night at the Pink Game that the best of me is yet to come. So many people came together at that event to make a difference. I plan to make a difference as well.
I Will Win
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