The More The Merrier

 Last weekend my family got together in Pennsylvania to make this year’s Marathon Challenge a family affair.   That amounts to 8 adults and 9 grandchildren (between the ages of 12 and 2), almost a small village.   Rounding out the Nick of Time Team was my sister, her husband and Jeep the dog.

Given the medical issues that curtailed my training, I had changed the run from a marathon run alone and spread over three days to a team effort done in one day.   The plan was for me to run as far as possible and then have family members complete the 26.2 miles for me.    Not counting Jeep, we had a team of 10 runners ranging in age from 6 to 69.

We picked a course that had a 3.5-4-mile loop so we could loop by the support team (the rest of the family) for moral support and refreshments.   A different family member would join me for each loop.   My twin grandchildren ran the first two loops with me, and while they are much faster than me these days, they were kind enough to slow down to my pace.   The team continued trading off runners in a relay fashion to keep me company while I ground away at the miles.   At 12 miles my legs starting knotting up and by 14 miles I was cooked.    Not as much as I would have liked but the farthest I’ve gone in one run since the stem cell transplant 5 years ago.  The team more than made up the rest of the mileage by adding on another 31 miles.   Those 45 miles don’t include all the miles run by people who signed up for the Miles for Smiles Virtual Run/Walk.

But the success of the weekend is not measured in miles but in what we (yes…you and I) were able to raise this year to help the children battling Pediatric Cancer.    Already this year we are on schedule to send out over 50% more boxes than last year.  Here’s an example of the joy you bring with your support.

It’s your support that has put that smile on her face.   And we don’t stop there.  Often times the parents need some help as well.  It may be as little as gas to commute to the hospital each day, money for a baby sitter to watch siblings, food service to bring a hot meal to the family at the end of a long day, or repairs for a single mom’s car so she can be with her child.   In the words of one mom:

 “thank you for the gift card to Target. That will help with getting more diapers or wipes. That's a never-ending purchase right now."

During really tough times, it’s the little things that let people know they are not alone and can put a smile on their face.   I keep being reminded by a close friend…it’s not about the miles it’s about the smiles.

So next year…definitely more smiles and maybe, just maybe, more miles.