Scaredy Cat

I came face to face with death this morning on my run. That’s right. I thought the end was near. A vicious coyote? No. The Boogey Man? Definitely not. A speeding car? Nope. The source of my eminent demise was in the sky. And it was coming for me!

Halfway through my morning run and without warning, I was scared out of my skin to the loudest clap of thunder I have ever heard. Go ahead. Laugh. Here let me help you get the visual. Runner Girl, while minding her own business, was obtrusively interrupted by a gigantic boom which then resulted into her falling into a “duck-and-cover” position whilst screaming her lungs out. Apparently when you participate in dozens of “duck-and-cover” drills in school, this awkward position occurs without hesitation upon hearing thunder roar in a sky full of cumulonimbus clouds. After checking to see if I still had all of my extremities and then quickly scanning around the sidewalk to see if there was a crowd of people pointing at me and laughing, I brushed myself off and continued on my run. Now, when I say “continue on my run,” I really didn’t have a choice. In order to avoid another incidence of embarrassment, I had to keep running so that I could get home. And of course, there were more occurrences of thunder and lightning. My heart rate was certainly higher than normal, and it wasn’t completely due to exertion. In case you don’t know this about me, I’m totally afraid of thunder and lightning. I know it’s somewhat irrational. I mean I have never been struck by lightning before. But nonetheless, I have a real fear of it. I’m a wimp, a weenie, a big fat scaredy cat. And I’ve never had to experience this fear without shelter.

As I was trying to figure out how to escape this menacing weather situation, I remembered why I was running in the first place, and the face of a little girl wearing a stocking cap came to mind. I don’t know this little one with leukemia, but I just tried to imagine the fear she feels when she goes to chemo. What does she feel like knowing that she’s trying to fight that six-letter word known as cancer? Is she in a duck-and-cover position? Absolutely not! Cancer patients – big & small – all seem to have this ATTACK mentality. Throughout their hospital visits, doctor’s appointments, blood tests, swallowed pills, needle pricks, and feeling crummy, these heroes face their fears head on and fight, fight, fight.

Please consider helping these true heroes keep up the fight. Your donation will go directly to helping a patient keep on keepin’ on. It might mean that a family won’t have to worry about paying for chemotherapy for their child. It might lead to a bone marrow match which will save the life of a child. It might just help supply laboratory researchers with supplies and materials critical to carrying out their search for a cure. It will make a difference no matter if it’s one dollar or a thousand dollars. Just go to my website to make your tax-deductible contribution and read my story.

Ashamed of my silly fear, I made it home safe and sound. Knowing that my phobia of thunder booms will not likely dissipate anytime soon, I have resolved to staying inside when the threat of such storms is probable. Meow!