Race Against Breast Cancer

Dear Breast Cancer,

Thanks for making it personal.

Unsincerely,

Jeri

I received some truly unexpected and heartwrenching news the other day.  One of my favorite college professors, and later my friend, had passed away.  We had been keeping in touch regarding my grad school plans and she had written some letters of recommendation for me.  When I hadn't heard from her about the most recent letter of recommendation, I thought it was strange.  After trying to reach her via email, I received an auto-reply message from the Dean of Students.  I learned that her breast cancer had returned aggressively, and she had passed away only a few short weeks after its return.

She was a brilliant and beautiful woman.  A strong feminist, educator, and nurturer.  She made me think and analyze beyond what I thought I was capable of.

I remember the day I saw her in the campus weight room, and she was ecstatic to tell me she had started running, and was planning to do an area 5k in the fall.  I saw her at the finish line that day and she was truly beaming with her accomplishment.

She will be greatly missed by me and many many others.  And I'll be running the Avera Race Against Breast Cancer in her honor.  Let's kick breast cancer's ass, eh?

If you should feel inclined to make a donation towards the cause, please visit my personal fundraising page.