Yes, I will be crying at this too

It is that time of year, and we are preparing for the Dance Marathon. This year, it falls on a rather wild weekend for me. Not only will I be exhausted from wrapping up Ruck4Hit and a wonderful whirlwind of activities, but it will also pull me back into the place I was in last year. Coming home from leaving my family’s side, my aunt was in the hospital waiting to be removed from life support from taking her life. Just weeks early, having been with my daughter experiencing the loss of her boyfriend’s suicide. I was on zero sleep driving straight from Virginia, leaving one of my life’s more significant and emotionally exhausting moments. To go into a room full of pure joy and life. The Dance Marathon, now in its 14th year, includes groups, families, friends, dance studios, and people of every age gathered at Cape Cod Academy to raise money for the Women’s Early Detection Fund, which Jennifer Rako started. This fund is now self-funded and getting donations from everywhere, but it is something our little dance marathon did, That Jennifer did. She asked me along for the ride, and I have been involved with it ever since she asked me to participate. Being a survivor of breast cancer, Jen began this. As a survivor, I felt compelled to jump in and raise money for others for testing that isn’t covered by insurance at any age for anyone who needs it and to stay here on Cape Cod where it is required. Just this year, two of my close friends began their battle with anomalies and surgeries. They poked, prodded, and pushed past their budget and insurance limits to stay alive. It is weird to me that cancer is a big money business. I could go on for hours about how wild and unbelievable it is and how many people I know are affected.

I want to focus on that moment I walked into that gym filled with dancers and hope. At all of the dances, I cry. I can’t help it. I weep. Last year, I wept with grief from my losses, grief for survivorship, grief from being tired and not sleeping, and joy to be alive, to watch these beautiful dances, and to move my body to good tunes.

So when you see me after being up all night making sure our runners remember our soldiers, and I’m watching dances or fundraisers or playing music for everyone I can, you will know I am crying because I am alive and I care!

$10 registration now through April 24th. $20 starting on April 25th. Venmo @Dance_Marathon_Cape_Cod to register!!