(Photo Montages are at the End of the Post)
What a trip it was! A bunch of us left from Dallas on Friday morning and caught up with the other dozen or so at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Valencia in the early evening. This hotel had literally just opened the day before. What a treat it was to be the first to stay in these suites; everything was brand new. I even had to take the plastic cover off the plug of the coffee maker to use it!
Besides still not quite believing I was one of the chosen to participate in this TV commercial for the Komen 3 Day, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I, along with 6 others, got to play on Saturday. We rented a Mercedes (you know that old saying "when in Rome, do as the Romans do"!).... and took off to stroll around Beverly Hills and also Hollywood. I had been there many years before, and enjoyed getting to see it all again.
Sunday, just about everyone was on the location for the whole day. And, as we had suspected, there was lots of waiting around until you are needed for something. But, the weather was as gorgeous as our surroundings. And, we were fed non-stop again! An extension of the 3 Day "all you can eat buffet" we all enjoyed in Dallas the weekend before. Except this time, the food was exceptionally good and there was just a huge variety of stuff to choose from. Heck, they even had bubble gum (and yeah, that's were I got the idea to have a bubble blowing contest with Cissa!).
We all got a big kick out of being referred to as "the talent" with many quips and smiles about it shared throughout the weekend.
It was a weekend of fun, laughter and for many of us the freedom to let our tears fall as we shared our memories. It was also healing for some, closure for others and a way to put the pieces of our experiences together.
As many of you know, I carried Faith with me all sixty miles of the 3 Day in honor of Dr. Elizabeth Jekot and in support of all breast cancer survivors. And, I took Faith with me on this trip as well. How could I finish this experience without Faith?
I also need to mention Stephanie, a very special cancer survivor in our group. Stephanie and her 15 year-old son David participated in the Dallas 3 Day; Stephanie was unable to walk because of her treatments and health, but she was there as an event photographer and David walked the 60 miles in support of her. As soon as you meet Stephanie, it is just darn near impossible not to rally around her. Her spirit, courage and attitude are an inspiration to all. On Sunday, "the talent" (all of us) signed a pink victory 3 Day shirt for Stephanie and as I was signing the shirt, I knew what I had to do. I decided that Stephanie could use Faith as she continues on her journey. So, Faith went home on Monday morning with Stephanie.
Denise is another amazing woman. Her breast cancer was diagnosed three years ago and given her fourteen trips to the operating room, her road has indeed been a rocky one. Even so, she exudes strength, beauty, determination and also peace. Denise, you now have a whole new bunch of friends rooting for you as you prepare for your upcoming surgery.
It was a bit hard to say final goodbyes at the airport, but we have all vowed to keep in touch. We've even decided to form our own team for next year's 3 Day in Dallas "Team Talent". Gotta nice ring to it, doesn't it?
And, it will be fun to see the final commercial sometime early next year. I also realize that with two days of filming and thousands of photographs taken of all of us, I won't be a bit surprised if I don't appear in any of the final media. But, just as with the 3 Day, it's all about being part of the experience. And, knowing that by helping keep the momentum going, maybe I have made a difference.
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