I clearly remember the first time I heard about Terry Fox.
I was 6 years old and my brother left his English book on his bed (since we were going to a francophone system school). Since I love reading and looking into a book but I couldn’t read English then, I stopped at a page where a picture of Terry Fox running.
I was worried and asked my brother why one of his leg seem to be missing and replaced with something that I couldn’t understand.
As a big patient brother, he calmly explain to his worried little sister that Terry is running for finding a cure to a cruel disease. I asked him what kind of disease and it was the first time I heard the word Cancer. I was so sad that he was sick but my brother told me :
Look, he is smiling in the picture and he didn’t give up. He is a hero little sister.
I asked if he is okay and my brother told me that he didn’t but his legacy will be forever engraved and in everyone of us, we will carry Terry’s spirit. I don’t know if he remembered that discussion but I sure did.
From this moment, especially when I face small or big challenges, the first person that came in my mind is Terry Fox.
Cancer, this awful and cruel disease still hunt us ” and I’m being very polite”. There is no ones that cannot say that this disease didn’t knock on their doors one way or the other.
He did knock on mine a few times.
But on September 17th 2017, we will walk, dance, run or doing all of the above with pride, joy, maybe a few tears of joy for the ones that did, are and will fight one of the biggest fight of their life..
I will walk (hmm I’m not a good runner like I run like Phoebe on Friends … It’s not pretty at all) on September 17th and I will think do it for my father, father-in-law, hubby and friends that did encounter this awful disease.
And I will talk on The Chronicle about inspiring people that will participate in this race around Canada.
This is a beautiful quote from Terry:
”Even if I don’t finish, we need others to continue. It’s got to keep going without me”
We sure will Terry.
