The FINISH LINE

The FINISH LINE

Written 3 minutes ago

At a party in high school, I literally bumped into a friend of mine. If I remember correctly, I took an elbow to Gretchen - my right, natural breast. Lisa and I laughed, said our sorries, and then she said, “I like your boob.” Lisa and I ended up as roommates our first Summer of college, and I can’t tell you how many times we said, “I like your boob.”  It was kind of our inside joke way of complimenting one another. “I like your boob” translated to “You look hot! Your date is in trouble!” or “Remember that time when…” or “You are my friend.”

Friday was a perfectly Southern day. It was 85 degrees and overcast with an intermittent light breeze. It was a perfect day for the 138th Kentucky Oaks. Annually, Oaks is the day that the fillies race at Churchill Downs – the day prior to the infamous Kentucky Derby. Four years ago, Oaks began a PINK OUT! Churchill Downs is dressed in shades of pink in support of breast cancer awareness, and donations are made by Churchill Downs to cancer research. This year’s partner was for Stand Up to Cancer, broadening the awareness to types of cancer inclusive of, but not limited to breast cancer.

As you already know, Nathan nominated me, and I was voted into the 138th Oaks Survivors Parade. As a result of your support, we won 2 free tickets to Oaks. Our dear friends Matt and Athanasia (aka, “A”) came into Louisville Thursday night around midnight from Wisconsin. It was so wonderful to have friends with us Friday – their show of support was heartwarming. Matt and A were sitting in our section, so hanging out together all day was super easy. We had lunch, placed a couple of bets, and watched a few races. We had to be in our seats at 3pm, at which time I was handed a beautiful bunch of stargazer lilies by Dr. Hatmaker’s nurse Sofia! She was working the event, and it was so nice to see a familiar face. We lined up, and we were bussed to the other end of the track.

We were grateful that the school bus was air conditioned…this sparked a lot of communication amongst the survivors. Nathan and I met another couple (Dave and Lori) – Lori is a survivor of breast cancer, and they have two small children as well. We shared stories of children, treatment, and support from our friends and families as we were taken to the other side of the track. We were lined up outside the track, laughing about life in general when a lady came up to Lori and said, “I like your boots.” I turned to Lori and laughed, saying, “I am so sorry! I can’t help but laugh because I thought she said I like your boobs!” Lori remarked that she thought that was what the woman said, too, and she was thinking, “Out of all these women with fake boobs, mine are the ones you like?!” Nathan made the comment that there had to be more plastic in that line than a Barbie factory! And I couldn’t help but to think of that college compliment – “I like your boob.”

A sudden drop in temperature became the focus of conversation. Oddly enough, we were commenting on how beautiful the weather was when we learned that a potential hail storm was coming. The Churchill Downs staff loaded us back onto the bus and gave us the disappointing news that while the Oaks race would be postponed, they were cancelling the Survivors Parade. I know all of us were thinking, “This is what we came here for.” While other people are here to watch a race, we are here to finish one.

We returned to Matt and A to watch the storm blow over. We said goodbye to our new friends Lori and Dave, who decided to regroup with their friends and take off. We were wavering back and forth about whether or not we wanted to bail when one of the survivors grabbed me and said, “We’re going to get to walk! Are you ready?” I must have looked confused because she repeated herself until I smiled, and then I grabbed Nathan. “Text Lori and tell her it’s back on! She’s going to miss it!” Lori and I both expressed such disappointment when the walk was cancelled that the thought of someone missing it made me want to cry. But Lori’s phone was dead, and she didn’t get the message. As we walked out, I heard other survivors talking about how their husbands stayed back to protect their Oaks attire from the mud. I asked Nathan if he wanted to stay back, and he acted like that was a ridiculous question. “I am going to finish this with you, Tina.” Those words will forever stand out in my mind. “Then let’s finish this,” I thought.

We were in the line, ready to step onto the track when Lori and Dave came running up behind us. She told him that she wanted to go back to her seat to make sure it wasn’t going to happen, and when she arrived we had already been bussed to the track entrance. They literally ran outside and ran around to the other end of the track to walk the parade. I screamed and hugged her when I saw her. I know it sounds funny, but I felt as though I made a new friend through the earlier bus ride, and I couldn’t imagine the walk without her!

The parade was overwhelming. The crowd cheered constantly for us as we walked around a ¼ of the track. As we crossed the finish line, I heard my name to my left, where I spied my VP Shelly and blew her kisses. Faces in the crowd looked at us with respect and awareness…and sadness, probably at how young our overall parade was (but that’s what happens when you have an internet vote!). Nathan was constantly smiling as the media (or the paparazzi, as we referred to them) snapped away pictures. Every 10 steps I felt a squeeze of my hand that left me wondering if I would cry. But Nathan kept me grounded, and as we approached our supporting party of Matt and A at the end, we beamed. It was so nice to have our friends there with us – just an amazing show of support. And that was it…it was O.V.E.R.

We had a great time with Matt and A. I’ve known Athanasia for 10+ years, but after this weekend, I will consider her a best friend. We talked for hours last night, and she gave me an analogy that will stick with me always. She said that when her family was faced with great adversity last August, a nun told her that we should look at God like a father (which I’ve heard a million times before, but this time it resonates with me). As a parent, we often protect our children from great harm (like running out into the middle of the street). When we do this, sometimes we hurt them a little in the process (like if we jerk them back from the street, they may get a pinch...or a spanking as a reminder of what not to do). But when you look at the big picture, the pinch or spanking was not nearly what the street could have been. The message was to look at the big picture and realize that when we face adversity, we are actually experiencing the hand of God pulling us back from a greater danger, so we should thank him for the save. I would hate to have seen what was in store for me if I hadn’t been through the last year! I’m just glad that we have the opportunity to say that we made it through, that we finished - we might even say that we “placed,” as they say in the racing circuit.