1) Cancer is so limited. It cannot cripple love. It cannot shatter hope. It cannot corrode faith. It cannot eat away at peace. It cannot destroy confidence. It cannot kill friendship. It cannot shut out memories. It cannot silence courage. It cannot invade the soul. It cannot steal Eternal Life. One of my best friends and roommate, Karly Petrella, read a poem similar to this one during the Relay for Life luminary ceremony. Karly lost her Pop-Pop to cancer, along with a long list of other relatives & friends & friends' family members. Her own Dad even battled this disease about 7 years ago, and today stands cancer-free (praise the Lord!). Karly is very familiar with this disease. She knows the pain it can cause, the wounds it can rip open in hearts, the floods of tears it can bring, the hurt is can create in families. And yet, through all the storms cancer has brought her way, Karly has only grown stronger. She loves so hard, and shows her love for others in selfless compassion, always meeting people where they are and being so faithful to care for them. Karly, you know that cancer cannot cripple your love, cannot shatter your hope, cannot corrode your faith, cannot eat away at your peace, cannot destroy your confidence, cannot kill your friendships, cannot shut out your memories, cannot silence your courage, cannot invade your soul, and it cannot steal your eternal life - and you live life so fully, believing in the eternal hope we have in the One who has conquered cancer and all other diseases. I hope that one day I can have as much hope and faith as you do! I love you!
2) On a lighter note, I learned that walking 100000000 laps around an outdoor track in semi-dead running shoes will kill your feet and shins.
3) I learned that my Canon Rebel's kit lens (18-55 mm, 3.5 -- the only lens I own right now) reallllyreally sucks at night photography, especially when a tripod is no where to be found. Considering the flash with this camera is extra sucky, the photos from that night weren't the best (though please don't think I'm bashing on my Canon Rebel! i love her... i mean, it. i just am not very skilled with night photography at present, especially when my subjects are all moving around like crazy). Despite the somewhat crappy quality of the pictures I took that night, that will not keep me from posting a bunch of them on here. ;)
4) I learned that some of the best times to catch up with friends that you haven't talked to in a while is to walk beside them along the track -- the longer the walk, the longer the talk (SO cheesy, I know, but so true!)
5) I learned that the Newport Pearls (CNU singing group) sounds uuhhhmaaazzing at 1am!
All in all, it was an awesome night -- so powerful, so eyeopening, and also very fun and memorable. Can't wait for Relay 2012!
Pitching the tent...
Opening ceremony....
This next group of photos is of Karly and her parents. They had me in tears...
Kar Kar, you are SO CUTE! Gah I love you
Awesome friends, out to support the cause of fighting against cancer...
Katie, Sarah, and Emily.... you guys are awesome. I am so so thrilled that you all came to CNU and that I KNOW YOU now!!
Survivors' victory lap to start off the night of walking!
Oh, hey, what's up my amazinggorgeouswonderfulhilariouslovingridiculouslyawesomeROOMIES!!!
I know this isn't the best photo, but i LOVE it :)
I know this next photo is horrible quality but i had to show my amazing friend, John Scott, who walked a mile for this cause!!
PROOF for why i hate flash/why my flash sucks (...oorr im still learning how to use it... either one)
Kar Kar, speaking in during the Luminary Ceremony! So proud of her :)
Some of my friend Amy Davis' luminaries...
Sarah, one of the freshman girls here at CNU, lost her Mom to cancer about a year ago. This girl has so much joy though - I'm blown away by the courage and strength and peace she displays on a daily basis. Sarah, you're amazing and I hope to be like you when I grow up!
Aaannd this was the time during the night that people started saying "ohh you want to take our picture? ok!" and jumped in front of the camera. Orrr they just stole my camera. That too.
This couple... too many words I could say about them... let's just leave it at they're freakin awesome and I am literally in love with them.
Some of the awesome members of our team, Team Ballin' ....
this reader sees a photojournalist in the making, well done! ~ "cancer is so limited," but you, precious one, are not ~ hope, and, many "the longer the walks" :) await you ~ yaljaya xoxoxo
ReplyDeleteDebb you're great. Love this. Love everything you wrote..especially about KarlyKar.. the ocho foreveah..love you guys.
ReplyDelete