I got the honor of writing and reading a poem for the Cancer Relay for Life for Douglas county in my area. It was a pleasure writing the poem and getting to read it. While I was somewhat nervous reading it (the crowd was a little larger than I was used to), it was definitely for a good cause. I have lost 2 grandfathers to Cancer, and have had other relatives fight the battle as well.
Below, you will find the poem that I wrote that was read at the Douglas county Cancer Relay for Life 2011 during the Luminary Ceremony...
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The Fight of Their Lives
God gave each and everyone of us a precious gift of life.
We learned to love and laugh
and develop inspirational dreams.
But for some,
their gift of life was cut a bit shorter at the seams.
They were family who shared a part of our lives,
and friends, whom we cried together,
with tears in our eyes.
We held their hands through each and every difficult part
And with strength and courage,
we fought all the way until the very last beat of their heart.
God blessed us with their cherished gifts that they brought to our lives.
And today, their love and memories are what enables us to fight
through this stride.
While their passing made us tearful with sorrow...
We have to realize that our life here on earth
is just a short time to borrow.
Each day is another courageous fight,
So that we get another chance to say
“I love you, and good night.”
On some days, there will still be some that are scared and unsure,
But there are many of us joining our hands together,
that believe in a miracle cure.
Our undying faith will lead the way.
Because in our hearts,
we all know that prayers can be answered
each and every day.
