The Power of Many
Tara Paterson
June 26, 2007
A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” –Lao-tzu
I would like to share the story of walking in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. It’s not easy to capture the experience of walking beside women who have overcome amazing challenges, but the story is one that needs to be shared.
We started our day at 4:30 a.m. You heard it, before the crack of dawn. We made our journey to the hotel where the opening ceremonies were set to begin at 6:00am. We checked our bags in; grabbed some Starbucks; and preceded to the bridge where the participants were instructed to congregate.
It was a gorgeous day in downtown D.C. as the sun began to come up over the horizon. Music was playing and women AND men were mingling. There were smiles and laughter everywhere you looked. Not all of the survivors or newly diagnosed women could be identified, but the knowledge that there were many challenges to come, was unmistakable.
The opening ceremony began and as they asked for the survivors and women who were beginning their fight, to raise their hands, unity began. We were all asked to raise our hands and join them with the person next to us. The feeling, even as I write this now, was so amazing it is indescribable. At 7:00 a.m. the walk began.
We walked through downtown DC past the monuments; the Capitol; down Embassy row; and through incredible streets where every tree and spring flower, were in full bloom. We stopped only for water, Gatorade and lunch.
Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” –Mark Twain
Among us there were women who were deaf and a woman who was blind. They continued for 26 ½ miles the first day and 13 ½ the second day. There wasn’t a blister or a soar foot that didn’t continue on that long journey for women all over the world. It began to rain by late afternoon and into the night. Many were not fortunate enough to make it back before their gear and tents were soaked, but not a complaint could be heard among the group.
Day two began at 5:00 a.m. Breakfast; stretching; packing our gear; and off to begin the walk by 7:30 a.m. We hustled and met a woman along the way who became a friend. Her mother-in-law, mother, and neighbor are all fighting breast cancer; in fact her mother had both breasts removed, only to find out later that she did not have breast cancer after all. She felt compelled to walk for her mom’s misfortune anyway.
We made it to the end quickly on day two and the overwhelming feeling we felt as we crossed the final mark was exhilarating. We acknowledged that we set out to walk our talk and completed our journey without a thought about the challenges we encountered along the way.
With 2200 walkers, both men and women; old and young; different sizes, shapes and colors; we collectively raised $5.2 million!!!!
“Whether or not we realize it each of us has within us the ability to set some kind of example for people. Knowing this would you rather be the one known for being the one who encouraged others, or the one who inadvertently discouraged those around you?” -Josh Hinds
Take the journey for something you believe in and I promise you will have a new outlook on the struggles we face in our own life. Sometimes things aren’t as bad as we first thought!
Tara Paterson, 2007, All Rights Reserved
I would like to share the story of walking in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. It’s not easy to capture the experience of walking beside women who have overcome amazing challenges, but the story is one that needs to be shared.
We started our day at 4:30 a.m. You heard it, before the crack of dawn. We made our journey to the hotel where the opening ceremonies were set to begin at 6:00am. We checked our bags in; grabbed some Starbucks; and preceded to the bridge where the participants were instructed to congregate.
It was a gorgeous day in downtown D.C. as the sun began to come up over the horizon. Music was playing and women AND men were mingling. There were smiles and laughter everywhere you looked. Not all of the survivors or newly diagnosed women could be identified, but the knowledge that there were many challenges to come, was unmistakable.
The opening ceremony began and as they asked for the survivors and women who were beginning their fight, to raise their hands, unity began. We were all asked to raise our hands and join them with the person next to us. The feeling, even as I write this now, was so amazing it is indescribable. At 7:00 a.m. the walk began.
We walked through downtown DC past the monuments; the Capitol; down Embassy row; and through incredible streets where every tree and spring flower, were in full bloom. We stopped only for water, Gatorade and lunch.
Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” –Mark Twain
Among us there were women who were deaf and a woman who was blind. They continued for 26 ½ miles the first day and 13 ½ the second day. There wasn’t a blister or a soar foot that didn’t continue on that long journey for women all over the world. It began to rain by late afternoon and into the night. Many were not fortunate enough to make it back before their gear and tents were soaked, but not a complaint could be heard among the group.
Day two began at 5:00 a.m. Breakfast; stretching; packing our gear; and off to begin the walk by 7:30 a.m. We hustled and met a woman along the way who became a friend. Her mother-in-law, mother, and neighbor are all fighting breast cancer; in fact her mother had both breasts removed, only to find out later that she did not have breast cancer after all. She felt compelled to walk for her mom’s misfortune anyway.
We made it to the end quickly on day two and the overwhelming feeling we felt as we crossed the final mark was exhilarating. We acknowledged that we set out to walk our talk and completed our journey without a thought about the challenges we encountered along the way.
With 2200 walkers, both men and women; old and young; different sizes, shapes and colors; we collectively raised $5.2 million!!!!
“Whether or not we realize it each of us has within us the ability to set some kind of example for people. Knowing this would you rather be the one known for being the one who encouraged others, or the one who inadvertently discouraged those around you?” -Josh Hinds
Take the journey for something you believe in and I promise you will have a new outlook on the struggles we face in our own life. Sometimes things aren’t as bad as we first thought!
Tara Paterson, 2007, All Rights Reserved