Of Cabbages & Kings

Happy February 29th! (There, now I can't be accused of being redundant in my writing.)

Here we are at Friday again. Funny how that happens every week (and rarely soon enough!). I'm looking forward to Terri, Kris and Kristyn being here this weekend. We have laughter on the menu. Lots of it. They are probably zipping past the California/Oregon border, on their way North, as I type this - at least they'd better be.

Last night I went to an orientation meeting for what I've come to refer to as, The Big Walk. I was overwhelmed with emotion from the minute I walked in to the meeting. The energy level in the room, and the stories I heard of breast cancer survivors, and from those who've loved and lost someone (and, as in my case, many someones), all the stories, all the lives that were touched... I don't even have words here to describe my feelings. And that was only 50 people. I'm trying to imagine, and failing, what it will feel like when there are thousands of us, gathered strong. I am so glad I'm doing this - it is my great honor.

I thought about John's friendship with Roxan, who died from breast cancer in 2002. She was his very best female friend. She was a beautiful human being. I didn't have the opportunity to know her nearly as well as I'd have liked. But I knew her through John's eyes. If nothing else, I love her for teaching me that it's ok to howl at the moon. She was a damned good howler! So, I was thinking I'm doing this walk in part for John...it turnes out I really am. I'm walking for him because he lost his best friend to breast cancer too. I hadn't seen it from that angle before last night. Roxanne died the night before John's 42nd birthday. I walk for Roxan (and for John, who would have wheeled to the ends of the earth for her).

Can I change the world, one step at a time? Maybe not. But I can change my world, and, just maybe, I can change yours.
If I can reach the stars,
Pull one down for you,
Shine it on my heart
So you could see the truth:
That this love I have inside
Is everything it seems.
But for now I find
Its only in my dreams.

And I can change the world,
I will be the sunlight in your universe.
You would think my love was really something good,
Baby if I could change the world.
~Eric Clapton, Change the World