Pulling a The David Cook, Not a John C. Mayer, for Crossing the Finish Line

When I grow up and am 34 and freaking adorable, I want to be Aunt Becky. 

When I grow up and walk the walk and live my life the way I say I want to live my life and not get bogged down in the muck and the mire and the bloody details of it all and am really a grown up, I want to be my friend D.   Although maybe without the cancer.  The recurring ovarian cancer. For my feelings about this complete with expletives, click HERE.  As you might imagine,  many of the words I use to describe my feelings on the subject begin with the letter “F.” Some begin with “S.” Mostly, however, they begin with “F.” 

Aunt Becky pulled a John C. Mayer, and then she pulled a The David Cook, but because Aunt Becky is Good People, and, as she would say, Full of the Awesome, she’s challenged her pranksters (Aunt Becky is Full of the Awesome and also full of The Lingo)…are you still with me?  Never mind…hang in there… to pull a The David Cook for charity - in my case Crossing the Finish Line. 

Crossing the Finish Line is, in its own – or rather Crossing the Finish Line’s own words, “Crossing the Finish Line helps families and their loved ones confront cancer hardships together through respite travel experiences which strengthen the healing force of their bonds and create immeasurable joy amidst devastating crisis. Our cancer patients are our “Sailors” and their respites are “excursions.” 

In case you are wondering why I keep repeating the name of the charity, Crossing the Finish Line, you need to back up, and go read again more carefully.  It’s critical info, people.  Plus, Crosssing the Finish Line is an organization with a mission worthy of repetition.  Yo. 

Founder of Crossing the Finish Line, Marci Shankweiler, and her husband Pete, were able to spend a short time away together during his cancer treatment and after his passing Marci fulfilled her dream of extending that opportunity for escape and rejuvenation and togetherness to other patients after completing their treatment cycles through the Crossing the Finish Line organization. 

Through generous donations of time, resources, and energy, Crossing the Finish Line sends families away on much needed and well deserved vacations, at no expense to them, during and after cancer treatments to spend time together away from the yuck and blech and ick and just plain ugh that is cancer.   Although I think the Crossing the Finish Line brochure words it a little differently.  

It’s not experimental treatment, it’s not Oprah-style extravaganza of “A New House and All Your Debts Paid and Your Kids Going to Harvard for FREE foreVAHHHH,” but for my friend D. and her husband, the chance to get away, provided by Crossing the Finish Line, gave her the “gift of time” as well as the “wonderful gift of kindness from others, by sending my family away for an all expense paid respite to focus on myself and my family after a year long battle with doctors appointments, surgeries and chemo away from the day to day at home.“  And sometimes, that’s more important than anything else. 

D. has written a book for Crossing the Finish Line, and speaks for them regularly, all the while insisting this is totally NOT ABOUT HER, so yeah, it’s NOT ABOUT HER, it’s about Crossing the Finish Line, and the book is to help explain to kids what the organization does for families during such a difficult time.  If you know someone who might be able to use it, contact Amber at Crossing the Finish Line. 

Away We Go - Crossing the Finish Line

 Know someone toughing it out through cancer treatment? Let them know what Crossing the Finish Line can do for them.  

Extra change jingling around in your pockets?  Crossing the Finish Line  will put it to good use. 

Your house in Florida not getting enough use?  Karma beckons.  So does Crossing the Finish Line.  So do I.