For whatever reason,
I have been bitten by the running bug. Ha, never in a million years would I
ever say that. I initially started running because I wanted to run The Gathering Place's 2014 Race for the Place 5K the first Sunday in June (National
Cancer Survivor's Day) in honor of my dear friend, Kris Stefanac, who passed away from triple negative breast
cancer at the age of 35 this past January. Memorial Day weekend, another dear
friend, Julie Duellman, passed away from her second battle of breast cancer. So
the race took on a whole new meaning. I wasn't planning on doing well at the
race, I was running it "just because". I surprised myself how well I
did and it kind of inspired me to keep running. I have been horrible at any
sport I tried and finally found something I can do and am not too bad at so why
not, right? I did another 5K at Holden Arboretum a month later, and signed up
for a couple more 5k this past summer.
Because I did so well at the Race for the Place, my husband, Paul, and
my brother-in-law, Eric, said I should try a half marathon. At first, I
laughed. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to do it. So this
summer, I have been in the process of training for my first half, the Northern Ohio Marathon, scheduled for Oct 12.
Running has become
more than just something to do. I feel like every time I run, I am running with
a purpose or mission: to honor and/or remember those I care about who have
been diagnosed with cancer... the fighters, the survivors, and the
taken....sadly, the list is long and seems continue to grow every day. Those
warriors inspire me to keep going when I feel like I can't run any more...Kind of hard to explain but perhaps there are some who know what I
mean.
After I started
training for and officially signed up for the half marathon, I made it a personal mission:
I am running this race and will finish it, come hell or high water, in honor of
my dear Papa D; my dear, sweet father who is currently waging the war against lung
cancer. Papa D, this one's for you!!! ;-)
Typically, when I've
done my long runs as part of my half training, I've worn something to
"inspire" me if that's what you want to call it; a shirt, a headband,
etc. I thought a necklace would be perfect for any run, long or short, and
even on days I’m not running and need some inspiration. I contacted Karen, the owner of Aviron Jewelry, with my
idea and in a few short days, she made my dream a reality.
Because this
necklace would be more than just a piece of jewelry to me, there were
several elements I wanted to incorporate
into the design. I shared all of my ideas and thoughts behind the elements and
Karen so beautifully pulled them all together in a way that made sense. I
couldn't be happier:
The silver chain
Silver represents
strength and has also been said to be the beacon of light in the darkness.
Goodness knows there's been some dark days in my life and the "beacons of
light" were at times the only things that kept me going. And during
those dark days, heavens knows I needed strength. The silver chain's strength
holds it all together…
The cancer ribbon
This represents the
family and friends who have been afflicted with any form of the horrible disease. Having
a silver ribbon also signifies the
strength each one of them have/had through their journeys.
Copper disks
Copper is a healing
metal and teaches of living life to it's fullest. Healing is much more than
just a physical one. Sometimes we need mental healing, too. Since we aren't
promised a tomorrow, we should all try to live life to the fullest, like each
day is our last.
Green
This is the color of
peace. The night my brother was murdered, he was wearing a peace sign necklace.
I wore a similar necklace for years after his death in his memory and still
have it, even though it's broken. There is a Bible verse that has become an important
one with all the trials and tribulations my family and I have faced in my life: "Do not be
anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which
surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ
Jesus." (Philippians 4:6, 7)
Blue
Blue is the color of
the sky and sea. It is often associated
with depth and stability. It symbolizes
trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven. The blue enamel used sparkles like the sun
reflecting on the ocean. Not only do I love the ocean/beach, but I have a
strong faith (thanks to my parents) and believe that this life is not the end. Because of my
faith, I will see my loved ones again in heaven one day.
Hope
The word
"hope" was one of the most important elements of this design.
"For I know the plans I have for you, plans for peace and not evil, to
give you a future and a hope."
(Jeremiah 29:11) This has always
been a favorite verse of mine. I even
referenced it during the speech I gave at our reception the day I married Paul.
Without hope, we have nothing and it's something we should never give up on.
So that's my story.
Short and to the point it is not. But something this special and so near and
dear to my heart deserves more than just a sentence or two. Thank you again,
Karen and Aviron Jewelry, for making this a reality. Your work of art will
always be more than just a necklace to me….
