FYI Daulton will soon be my daughter-in-law, so she needs to get used to being bossed around by me anyhow...HA!
So...
This blog is about a woman. Just an ordinary woman who lives in Provo. My friend, Korby, lost her mother a few years ago to breast cancer. I guess that's not exceptional in and of itself. There are many, many people walking this planet who have been touched by cancer. It's what she did about it that makes her extra-ordinary.
I didn't know Korby at that time. I didn't know Daulton. I didn't get to meet Korby's mom. Yet, she has impacted my life. Not in some in-your-face-sort-of-way, but through the stories that Korby shares. I glimpse the love of music that she endowed upon Daulton and her sister Shea. This is the way I get to see a glimmer of Sue.
But, this isn't about Sue. It's about Korby. When I got to know Daulton, I soon heard about the fund raising dinner that her mother was putting on in hopes to raise some money to attend the Susan G. Komen 3-Day.
I didn't know what the Susan G. Komen foundation was, but I (somewhat lackadaisically) went along with the event. I donated a couple of pictures I create to help with her raffle that year and went to attend the dinner not really knowing what to expect.
Korby presents a video of pictures from the previous years' walk. That's when I was hooked. This is no ordinary stroll through the park. These people cover 60 miles in the three days. Yep. That's right SIX-TY miles. And there were THOUSANDS of people in attendance.
I have seen pictures of the swollen, bleeding feet after the walk. I have heard Korby tell stories that bring me to tears. I can't believe the dedication and love that Korby must possess in order to complete the walk. Rain, sunshine, illness, stress, sore muscles, blistered feet. It doesn't matter. She's there. And she does it.
I admire Korby for this. She doesn't wave a banner expressing her accomplishment. Instead, she quietly has raised over $50,000 for the cure. And she does it even though her mother isn't here to reap the benefits. She does it because it matters.
Korby started out with just a step. Her journey didn't start with "the walk". It began with an idea. She had a desire. This desire stemmed from a small inkling that she might be able to make a difference.
The reason that there even is a 3-walk for the cure is because another ordinary woman promised her sister that she would do everything in her power to cure breast cancer. According to the website, they have raised over 1.9 BILLION dollars. Dollars that are dedicated to the fight against breast cancer. That's pretty cool. That means that there are a number of men and women out there that had an idea that led to an inkling that they, too, might make a difference.
Many, many of these people don't have breast cancer. Many, many of them never will. They either know someone personally, or know someone-who-knows-someone who has had breast cancer and was cured, is currently fighting it ... or has lost the battle. Whatever the reason, these people walk because it matters.
Makes me wonder, what if we all followed our "inkling"? It doesn't have to be something as involved as attending a walk, sponsoring a walk, or raising billions of dollars. What if it's something as simple as holding the door for a frazzled mother at your local convenience store, or raking the leaves for your elderly neighbor? What if you made a promise to your sister and that promise has prevented millions of people from having to go through the struggle you witnessed your sister experience?
It all begins somewhere. Just take a step. And start changing your world.
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