Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Red Hair and A Smile

For all of our brave and proud team members who so graciously and willingly lost their SL locks of hair this week all to raise money for the fight against cancer, I would like to share a story that I wrote years ago while helping my mom deal with her diagnosis.  I want you to see kinda firsthand just how much your support means to those fighting this terrifying battle.  I am so honored and proud to be associated with people who give such a large part of their heart to help.

 
RED HAIR AND A SMILE
 
 
A gentle breeze from the open window stirred the scent of perfume and powder around the room. The sweet smell mixed with the steamed aroma of spiced tea from the cup on the bedside table. Mom leaned back against the bed pillows and a collection of teddy bears. On the wall behind her hung an assortment of family pictures, pictures of her parents and her kids.
Mom's right hand gripped a silver hairbrush against her chest, the brush
I gave her for Mother's Day. Her other hand reached up and pulled another clump of blonde hair from her head.
"Mom!" I rushed over and sat next to her, holding her frail body close like a scared child. She was experiencing the side effects of chemotherapy.
A few months prior, Mom was diagnosed with cancer. I held her trembling hand while the doctor explained chemotherapy. The treatments would make her feel sick. He explained she would lose her hair as well, but the reality was still a numbing shock.
My heart ached. I wanted to scare away her fears like the monsters she chased from my childhood nightmares. She reached for the spiced tea and I watched as she held the warm cup between trembling hands.
"Don't move," I insisted, wiping away her frightened tears. "I'll be right back, okay?" She only nodded, her hollow blue eyes following me as I left the room. I went into the other room and returned half an hour later to find her still resting on the bed. This time she looked up and smiled.
There I stood wearing a tie-dyed blouse, orange bell-bottom pants and a wig of red hair that hung to my elbows. Grinning at her, I held out a matching wig.
"Your turn to get dressed," I urged. "We're going to the mall." Mom's sad eyes studied the wig. She reached forward to touch the long red strands. A smile warmed her pale lips as she finally took it from my hand.
I walked into the living room as Mom got up and opened her closet. Soon she emerged from the bedroom like a butterfly from a cocoon. The clothes hung from her tiny frame, but laughter filled her eyes as she swung the red hair over one shoulder. She wore a tie-dye dress with sandals. She had an ankle bracelet as well, but she had been wearing the tiny chain on her leg for as long as I could remember.
Elvis Presley belted out the lyrics of "Blue Suede Shoes" from the stereo of my old Buick as we pulled into a parking space near the main entrance of the shopping mall. The monsters were forgotten. We were just two carefree redheads, cruising the shops like a couple of teenagers. Our sixties-era appearance did turn a few heads, but that just added to the fun.
An arcade brimming with teenagers greeted us just inside the front entrance. Mom wandered through the maze of flashing lights and electronic sounds to the nearest pinball machine while I followed behind. Soon the TILT light was flashing as she pounded the paddle control buttons. It wasn't long before her high score topped the list.
I followed her from game to game as she defeated the ghosts in Pac Man and shot all the bouncing spiders in Centipede. When we reached the air hockey table, she turned to me.
“Up for a game?” she grinned, sliding a striker my direction.
“You’re on!” I laughed. She obviously didn’t remember the air hockey table we used to visit at our hometown arcade. As a teenager, I gave that table quite a beating. She was challenging a champion from the old days. I figured maybe I should go easy on her.
That attitude changed soon after the air started seeping through the surface of the table. Mom grabbed her striker. This was no weak cancer patient. This was a redhead bent on winning, and she did 4-0. Then, refusing a rematch, she skipped out of the room and headed for the pet store next to the arcade.
“Doesn’t he look like Grandpa Bob?” Mom laughed, holding up a guinea pig when I caught up with her. The clerk behind the counter glared at us. Mom answered her irritated gaze with a mischievous grin.
“Oh definitely! He could be a distant cousin!” I laughed. Then I spotted a bright green parrot perched nearby. “Polly wanna stick of gum?” I asked the bird, digging in my purse for a treat.
“Don’t feed the pets,” the clerk growled from behind the counter.
Mom turned to the puppies encased in glass cages with labels indicating their breed. “Are you pets?” She giggled, tapping on the glass until she had all of them barking.
When I picked up an iguana, walked next to the fish tanks and asked if iguanas could swim, the clerk lost her customer service attitude completely. “I am afraid I need to ask you ladies to leave!” She barked.
My stomach was growling and Mom looked a little tired, so I bought a couple
of ice cream cones from the food court. Then we headed for the car. Mom settled into the passenger seat and began to lick the melting ice cream.
“You definitely look like a red-headed teenager,” I laughed, watching her tongue chase the sweet goop down the back of her hand.
Mom touched the red strands and smiled. “I always wanted to be an exciting redhead growing up, instead of a dirty dishwater blonde. How did you know?”
“You told me once,” I grinned, “and frankly, I think it suits you.”
Mom dozed off as I drove her home, the wig still in place. My heart ached a little less, seeing the smile still on her face. I remembered some of the good times she had given me growing up and all the monsters she had chased away. At least, for one
afternoon, the monster in her life was forgotten.
Although Mom fought a brave battle, the monster won a couple of months later. Her cancer spread from the lymph nodes and into her bones. From there it spread to her brain, leaving her unable to speak.
During her last days I would sit on the edge of the hospital bed with her frail hand in mine, telling her stories of the old days. She always loved the story about the day we managed to chase away the monster together for one afternoon with what I had to give: red hair and a smile.



Sunday, May 11, 2014

Who Do You Relay?

Nine amazing RFL'ers share why they Relay - and join their Hands, Hearts, and Hope with us...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr1yYUIICB0&feature=share

Cody Pason - thank you for making this - Relayer's be encouraged... be rallied... to continue the second half of our Journey of Promise! GO RELAY!

Thank you to those who participated in this video - and for those who are interested, we may have a Part II coming soon - so if you would like to include yours, let Cody know! Until then - Relay On!

Visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/HandsHeartsHope/
  or come see us in world on the Fun Land sim (Hands, Hearts, and Hope)

http://relayforlifeofsecondlife.org/

http://relayforlifeofsecondlife.org/team-page/?team=47




Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Halfway There and Fantasy Faire!

Can you believe that we're at Halfway There already??  We kicked off the 2014 RFL season on March 8th and it's May 6th - wow! And so far, Relay Nation has raised over $225,000 USD - more than halfway to our goal for 2014: ($401,000 USD =  401k: cancer's retirement plan)!

The Halfway Awards will be presented during the Halfway There Celebration Ceremony on Saturday, May 10 at 4pm SLT! Hosted by the RFL of SL Steering Committee, the ceremony, during this TENTH anniversary, will be full of fun, special guests and surprises … so mark your calendars and plan to attend!  So far, our Hands, Hearts, and Hope team will receive a Gold award at Halfway There - something we've never accomplished!  We're so very excited about this weekend, as well as the coming events we have planned to get to our Platinum goal by Relay Weekend (July 19-20)!

Pulling this from the Relay For Life of Second Life website, because I do not want you to miss it:


  The Fantasy Faire is in full swing!  Celebrating its sixth year, Fantasy Faire 2014 is the largest gathering of fantasy designers, enthusiasts, roleplayers and performers in the  virtual world. From Thursday, May 1 to Sunday May 11, treat yourself to eleven days of shopping, live music concerts, auctions, hunts and  roleplaying as thousands of Second Life residents and creators bring their own visions together to support the American Cancer Society’s  vision of a world without cancer.

Avatars, clothing, furnishings, gadgets and exclusive items are available from more than 150 of SL’s top Fantasy Creators across eleven  stunning sims designed by some of the visionary artists behind many of the hottest spots on the SL destination guide.

Fantasy Faire 2014 will be open to the public May 1-11 and accessible from the American Cancer Society sim or by teleporting to http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Fairelands%20Junction/145/128/21.   We welcome you to come and join the story.


 Have you set up your Convio page yet?  You can use that page to get donations from people in both the SL community and your 1st Life too! You can use your avatar name, or your real name - or set up a page for both and hit up both sides of your worlds! Spread the word - find the cure!! 

Remember, "attend an event, donate to a kiosk, volunteer if you're able", and I want to make sure we mention: this is a marathon not a sprint - be creative, be diligent and bold in your efforts, and always keep the face of the reason you Relay in your mind - it will keep you going!

Stay tuned to this blog, our Facebook page, or the in-world group notices, because our HUGE 12-Hour Rally, and Bid Me Bald event is coming up May 14-May 24 (rally day is the 24th Noon - midnight SLT) - and we've got so many fun and amazing things planned, you don't want to miss it!

We've also got some "Gotya" vendors being worked up with items, Team clothing will be coming very soon, and the unveiling of this year's Team Motorcycle happens this month as well! So much fun and fundraising!!  It makes you just want to throw your hands up and shout: GOOOOO RELAY!!!

*Our hands join, our Hearts unite, and together we take this Journey of Promise toward Hope - for a world with more Birthdays... a world without cancer!


Wednesday, April 16, 2014

An Inspirational Story: Thelma Rae


Thelma caught my attention with a wave of her arm from where she sat on the beach just below me.  Blue jeans rolled up to her knees, she sat digging her bare toes in the warm sand as she worked.  Her curly hair had become a victim of the coastal wind as it blew across her face.  At 36 years old, she looked as much a teenager as I did, and even with the 18-year age difference, she had long been my best friend.  Waving again, the tablet fell from her lap as she motioned me to join her.

A strange way to spend an afternoon for some, for us it had become almost a tradition.  Thelma and I shared a love for writing, and Simpson Beach was such an inspirational place to work.  We would each bring our tablets and find a comfortable seat.  Then sitting apart to avoid the temptation to sit and chat instead, we would work as the waves crashed and the seagulls sang from above us.  A large wolf-shaped rock in the water off shore would watch over the scene--Wise Old Timmons, Thelma called him.

I climbed down from the ledge ten feet up the base a sandstone cliff where
I had nestled with my tablet.  Work time was obviously over, and it was time to play.  Joining her in the warm sand, our tablets were soon forgotten as we ran along the water’s edge, splashing in the waves.  Like two kids we threw pieces of driftwood into the surf and waited for them to come back.

Then we were off to visit the tide pools that were located at the edge of the rock cliffs on one side of the beach.  Thelma loved to poke her fingers in the tiny sea anemones.  I seldom dared touch them myself, but it was fun to watch them suck long, sticky tentacles into a soft wad of color attached to a rock.  Sometimes we also found starfish and tiny crabs that we had to hold a moment before letting them go back to their pool.  Every visit to Simpson Beach was full of new discoveries to explore and it was always an afternoon well spent.
 
Thinking back now I remember so many nights we sat up until dawn just talking.  It was no wonder we were best friends.  We had so much in common--a love of Chinese food and soft music, the Oregon coast and, of course, writing.  Sometimes during our long talks Thelma would get philosophical and give me advice about life.  She taught me that every now and then, grownups do say things worth listening to.

“It’s better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it,” she used to say all the time.  I don’t know if she made the little phrases up or if she read them somewhere, but even today I find myself hearing them echo through my head at just the right moments.

I remember when I became old enough to date, she decided to impart words of wisdom.  She told me there are two things to always remember when searching for that perfect guy, your soul mate.  The first one was if you wanted to truly judge a man’s character and know that he is a gentleman, watch him around children and dogs.  If he takes the time to show them affection, he will do the same for you.  It seemed silly back then, but it also made sense.

“Secondly,” she said, “You will never find a perfect man.  The trick is to find one with faults you can deal with.”  I wondered at the time if she ever thought about looking for her soul mate.  She had been married once for about ten years, but her husband had died in a logging accident.  She had been single since then.

At twenty-five years old I finally did marry and our time together lessened, but we always stayed close.  Soon after I got married, I had a daughter and Thelma was with me in the delivery room.  She breathed through the contractions with me for fifteen hours and held my hand while they stitched me up when it was through. 

I named my daughter Tessa Rae, giving her Thelma’s middle name.  I’ll never forget that beaming face as she repeated it over and over again.

Things got harder after that.  My husband accepted a job three hours away and we had to move.  Thelma’s health hadn’t been good and I worried about her daily, but we stayed in touch faithfully.  I tried to talk her into moving too, but then one day she called me at work from the hospital.

It was cancer, terminal cancer because they hadn’t caught it in time.  The phone almost hit the bakery floor as I fumbled, in shock, to keep it to my ear with those words thundering through my head.

“I’m on my way,” I heard myself whisper.

“Can you bring some of those lemon-filled donuts?” she answered.  I could almost smile as I pictured her dancing blue eyes pleading.

I arrived in the evening when the hospital was quiet, but Thelma’s room was full of beeps, buzzers and strange faces.  I knew I must be pale, but I put on a brave face and marched around the corner into her room.  Thelma hadn’t changed.  She sat high in her bed, busily teasing the nurses.  Before I knew it, she was lecturing me about keeping positive. 

The cancer quickly traveled from her lymph nodes, then into her bones and finally into her brain.  I held her hand daily, watching her fade slowly.  My Thelma, once so intelligent could now barely speak.

During our last visit, I retold old stories about Simpson Beach to those eyes so hollow and blue.  She couldn’t say much, but I know I saw a smile as I sat Tessa Rae on her belly in the hospital bed.  Thelma weakly lifted both hands so she could play patty cake one last time.

Now I embrace those memories and pass them along to Tessa and her brothers, along with the words of wisdom.  I also try to write regularly, eat Chinese food and go to the Oregon coast as often as I can to pass on the legacy of my friend.  You see, Thelma was someone extra special.  Not only was she my best friend, she was also my mom.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Hands, Hearts, & Hope Blog!

Hiya folks! Welcome to the Hands, Hearts, and Hope Blog Page!

We're a little late getting a page started, but since we have a writer, a blogger, and 2-3 techy people in the mix - why not, right??

So this is a call to arms - We're a little past ONE MONTH since the official Relay For Life Kick-Off, and we've wiggled our way into Silver!!

The goal is Gold - but truthfully the sky is the limit!

I (Chevelley) am no blogger, though it does interest me... but in the interest of sharing and creating a true team feel, I would love to see some of our writers on the team come in and make this site amazing with written word.

And some of graphics arts peoples, photo peoples, etc - will be in charge of making it look pretty, or awesome (or whichever is the more accepted universal term lol) with graphics, photos, etc.! 

This is a page to boost promotion, gain another area of outreach, and increase excitement within the team, as well as the entire Second Life universe - and beyond... into the organic world too!

So without further rambling from me... welcome to Hands, Hearts, and Hope!
We're glad you're here!!  GO RELAY!!