When I
was in 5th grade, I remember being in the kitchen after dinner and
my parents asking my brother and me to come sit on the couch with them. That’s
when they told us. My dad had colon cancer. At the time I was young, but I knew
what cancer was. I knew how serious it was, but they told me that everything
was going to be okay, so I believed them. He soon started chemo. Every week my
mom and dad would make trips up to John’s Hopkins to receive the treatment. For
a while, everything was going well, but the cancer kept spreading. A few months
later, he was admitted into the hospital, and then another month later passed
away. Whenever someone asks me to think of a hard time in my life, or a really
sad time, this is the only time that ever pops up into my head. As the oldest, I
had not only known my dad the longest, but I now felt as if I had a bigger
responsibility to help my mom, brother and sister.
Growing
up, it was always fun to see the reactions on people’s faces when they found
out that my dad was an astronaut. Everyone’s next question was always if he had
been to space. Yes, three times actually. My Dad was an explorer, an engineer,
a pilot and a true contributor to world progress and innovation. But most of all, he was my dad. It has been six years now since he passed
away. Perceptions of moments with my
father have not been changed by the years. There are things that I have
forgotten, that I wish I did not, but certain things will always remain.
Whenever I feel like I’m facing a hard
situation - getting up for my 8 am class, studying for a midterm, or dealing
with everyday things, I think back to my dad.
Think back to memories of him and of his dedication even throughout his
chemo treatments. This memory always helps me get through whatever that tough
problem may be, because life could be so much worse. A man with so much
determination and modesty could still run 4 miles every morning and then get
treatment in the afternoon, so little things should not bother me.
Since
I’ve been at UVA, I find myself thinking of my dad more than ever. In a
different place, on my own, away from everything familiar, deciding what I want
to do for the rest of my life. All I want to do is sit down and have him tell
me exactly what to do, giving me his thoughtful words of wisdom and sharing his
wonderful stories.
This
is one of the reasons why I love Relay For Life at UVA and Exec board. We all
have come together for a cause that is so important to each and every one of
us. Every single person has a story, has been affected, and knows the pains
cancer brings in some way. Together, we can fight back.
We can
question all we want - why things happen, how cancer could take someone so
incredible, but cancer has no preference. That’s where we come in - to raise
awareness about early detection, find new treatments, find a cure and BEAT
cancer.
My dad once said in a speech: "Having a dream and working hard to
achieve it, and then doing so, is very rewarding. It is even more rewarding if
the realization of your dreams benefits not just you, but other individuals, or
your community or country. So make a contribution along the way -- to your
fellow citizens, your country, or the world. Make the fact that you exist
meaningful to the world. Make a difference."
Relay for Life is one
of those many contributions I hope to make along the way. I relay to make a
difference. I relay to fight for something so important to me. I relay for all
of the dads, moms, and families. I relay in memory and in honor. I relay to
celebrate, to remember, and to fight back.
With Relay Love,
