As I drove through town yesterday, I noticed the many people that donned many apparel and/or possessed various paraphernalia, to express their support for the annual "Susan G. Komen Race for the cure” event, in remembrance of the lives - and families for that matter - that have been affected by either a diagnosis of cancer or worst still, death caused by cancer. To honor these many lives, some participants ran, others walked, a few others hiked, while others just looked on in support, participating nonetheless.
This event reminded me (and others, I'm sure) of the "cruelty" of cancer and its effects on each and every one of us; A 'simple' diagnosis of any form of cancer comes with it, severe psychological as well as financial burdens, not to mention the persistent pressure of living one's life in fear. Each day, one wonders if they will have the opportunity to experience what the next day, and even the next minute has to offer. I, personally, have seen quite a few lives, affected by this devastating disease; some that were blessed enough to fight through it, while others fought hard as they could, but in the end, were called to home to enjoy the "eternal life" that we all look forward to some day. Many others however, continue to fight hard each day, as they are constantly subjected to all kinds of surgeries, chemotherapies and drugs. Through all of these, they fear, they cry, they give up on themselves sometimes.....but they have learned to hope and look forward to the future in anticipation for the best. When several of them say "I'm ready for this to be over," they mean it! Not only for them, but for their families as well. They realize the constant pressure their state of health has on their families, and are ready to relieve them of such duties. This, again, reminds me of a similar disease that I care about deeply and have personally worked on in research; Alzheimer's disease. We ought to remember that cancer and Alzheimer's disease, unlike other disease states, are not caused as a result of poor behavioral and/or health choices, but rather as a result of cells in our bodies going haywire. These are folks that need not go through this, but until the scientific community is able to resolve this problem, we unfortunately will have to deal with its horrendous effects. (It was for this reason, I decided to offer my little 'two cents' towards Alzheimer's research by completing an undergraduate thesis on the topic. For anyone interested, my thesis documents can be found at https://docs.google.com/open?id=0ByM7ooRXYCySYjY3cnpwODMzXzQ and the more technical https://docs.google.com/open?id=0ByM7ooRXYCySQjZVUFQ1Zk15ZDA )
The “Race for the Cure” event is an amazing way to remember the lives of the many people taken by cancer, but most importantly, it serves to remind us that we as humans aren't perfect in any way and will not be, until we realize the imperfections of our own selves and others, as well as the imperfections of all systems including that of the human body. It is only through this realization that we can unite as a HUMAN RACE; not a race based on place of birth/origin, gender, color of the skin, political affiliation or other socio-economic factors. We are A RACE, dedicated to a common cause, with a collective responsibility to make the world a better place for all that inhabit it. In this unity, we remember the many lives lost to cancer and offer our sincerest condolences to the numerous families suffering from its toll. More importantly however, may we "Race for the Cause” of the Human race.
In love, unity and the remembrance of life,
~ItsWil Son!!!!
PS: Feel free to share, if you so wish.
