just so you know

Today - maybe even right now...there are unofficial members of Em's Slackers pounding the pavement! Today is the first day for the Supercities Walk for MS in various parts of the country! Lisa in Leamington, and Andrea in K/W ... woohoo!

The reason that they are "unofficial" is that Em's Slackers is a Winnipeg team...I think that I should request cross-country representation for next year!

Putting the Em in Em's Slackers,

Emily

2 comments:

Anonymous said...
April 14, 2008 at 3:18 p.m.

Hi Em,

Well, the walk for me yesterday was a very emotional experience - something I wasn't expecting.

First, as I was leaving the house yesterday morning, I was bummed that I was doing this alone. I had sent a generic invite to colleagues to join me for the walk, but they all donated instead - which I can't complain about. But at that moment, I wanted to be going to the walk with someone.

Then, when I got to Fed Hall to register I was overwhelmed when I walked in the door. The place was jammed with people - hundreds of them. All affected in some way by MS. There were a number of people in wheelchairs, on scooters, walking with canes. Lots of other able-bodied folk, some of who might also have MS and I wouldn't even know it. Many were wearing signs on their backs: I'm walking for My Wife. I'm walking for my Mother. I'm walking for Hope. I'm walking for a cure. I realized then.....I'm walking for my sister. That's when it hit me, when the magnitude of this disease and what it means for you hit me. Wham. My eyes welled up, my throat closed, my stomach went into flips. And then I REALLY wished I wasn't alone.

I called Brent and asked him to come with the girls. Just to meet me somewhere along the route so I could see them. He agreed, and that's when I started feeling better. I registered, donned my shirt, put my sign on my back (sniff!), then joined the masses outside. We heard some inspiring words, were lead in an aerobic warm-up, and we were off. The sun was shining, and I put some spring in my step. Brent and the girls met me about half way along the route, and finished the walk with me. Ruth had some questions about MS, which I answered as best I could....but I don't think she gets it completely, since she later told me that she has MS too. Rebeccah would have enjoyed the walk more if she hadn't been at eye-level with dozens and dozens of dogs - do dog-walkers just attend these walks, regardless of the cause? They were everywhere!

So, in the end, it was an emotional experience in a very good way. Em, I feel closer to you somehow. I hope you know how much I love you.

And my friends and colleagues continue to bring donations into my office - they're over the $500 mark now. Yahoo! We're gonna beat this thing!

Hope your walk in Winnipeg goes well. Save a shirt for me!

Love,

Annie

Anonymous said...
April 21, 2008 at 9:41 a.m.

Well now I'm crying. I wanted to walk but didn't because physically it is too hard for me. I thought I could join Andrea for part of it but worried that I couldn't keep up with her. If I walked as far as I could then how would I get back to where I started?

I am very proud of both of my daughters.

Mom XXOO

Little bits about my life with MS

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