Kingman Relay For Life

The relay really opened up some emotions that I have not dealt with in a long time. From the opening ceremonies, the survivor lap, and the luminaries, I just kept thinking about how many lives have been touched by this one disease. There were so many people I knew that were wearing purple survivor shirts, I was amazed at the numbers even though I “know” the statistics—this event brought the statistics on a large scale to life. I have already dealt with cancer on a more personal level. My Dad, Eugene Fusco, died of lung cancer January 1, 1998. Even though it has been over 10 years, there is still a whole, something missing from my life- I am still brought to tears thinking about him. My grandfather also died of cancer-I never had the opportunity to really get to know him because I was so young and he so sick—I sometimes wonder about his life beyond the few stories I have heard.
People are so precious; no one is replaceable or forgettable. I need to keep this message forefront as I go about my days-my daily thoughts, actions, words-everything about who I am and what I do- live on and effect people that I both know and don’t know. How do I want to be remembered? What legacy will I leave behind? Legacies aren’t grand building, huge trusts, foundations or memorials—legacies live on in the people that you have touched in some way…those are the most meaningful. So today I leave you with a quote from a great man:

“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.