Rest, Relaxation, and Race Planning

With the waves of supportive texts, well-wishing phone calls, flowers, sympathy cards and dinner offers coming to an end, we are finally faced with picking up the pieces of our lives and trying to find a way to move along.  Not going to lie, it's a slow process.  Luckily my fall break (if you can call two days off a break) fell at just the right time for me to be able to spend a much-needed weekend with my mom.

We headed out of the city and up to Gatlinburg, TN to enjoy the beauty of the changing leaves and cooler weather.  We didn't plan on it pouring rain the entire 5 hour drive up there.  Let's just say that talking about memories of my dad, recapping what lead up to his passing, and comforting each other as we spilled about our feelings didn't mix well with driving in a downpour.  We arrived safely but promised each other that we wouldn't talk about anything "sad" on the way home- just in case our guardian angels had been working overtime on our drive up!

It was awesome to see the view from our window in the morning!  The leaves were such beautiful colors and they don't call the range the "Smoky Mountains" for nothing.  Since it was raining still, we chose to spend the day wandering around the Aquarium.  We literally sat and watched the penguins for 2 hours- they were so cute and we just loved how they paired up with their mate and lived in their own little houses together!

On Saturday we were so thankful to have a sunny (but still chilly) day to explore and enjoy.  We took a tram up the mountain to look around the ski slopes that are available in Gatlinberg.  I tried to find a trail map to bring home since Tim loves maps and loves skiing even more.  I couldn't figure out why everyone kept looking at me like I had 3 heads when I would ask them but eventually realized that a ski hill with only 3 runs doesn't need trail maps.  We're so spoiled in Colorado! :-)  My mom felt like tapping into her German roots and participating in the Oktoberfest celebration at the mountain peak.  After dancing the Chicken Dance, sharing a pretzel, singing along to songs with words I couldn't pronounce, and drinking a German beer that my mom said "tasted like horse pee" our spirits were lifted quite a bit.  It's strange to me how easily laughing and having fun comes even while we are mourning still.  It's definitely a roller coaster and every day is different but it's nice to share a laugh and a smile after so many tears have been shed.  We spent the rest of the day enjoying the local art galleries and spending some money on one-of-a-kind items.  So many creative people!

Mom with the accordian guy

    




On Sunday we spent the day driving through the Smoky Mountain National Park and decided to stop and take a quick hike up to Laurel Falls.  It was so beautiful and the weather was warm- it was a perfect day!  We spent the rest of the day in the car driving back to Nashville to have dinner and do a little race planning with some great friends.  Anyone who knows me knows that I have severe ADD (not ever diagnosed but I'm convinced) and after 6+ hours driving around, I was ready to jump out the window!  There's a reason why I have a million Southwest miles and don't drive anywhere!  But, being able to spend time with my mom was VERY worth it.  We needed time together to laugh, to cry, to remember and hadn't had a chance to do so since my dad passed away.  We need each other now more than ever and although we will always feel the pain of him being gone, it's good that we have family to lean on.

Dinner was wonderful and after brainstorming and bouncing ideas off of each other, we decided that if we are going to create a charitable event in my dad's name, it should be a golf tournament, not a race.  He hated running and spent his life in the off season on any golf course he could get a tee time on so this will fit much better.  Since changing our minds, things have really taken off!  We have a date set (June 28th and 29th), location (Legends Vanderbilt Golf Course), logos being created, and some sponsors already lined up to help!  Now we're just trying to figure out where the money will go...no easy task.  I'm tired of foundations that raise billions of dollars through events (Race for the Cure to name one) but don't filter the money down to the people who need it the most- the patients that are battling for their lives.  The LAST thing these people need to worry about while staring the possibility of death in the eye is money and if we can find a way to help alleviate some of that stress from even one person, I feel that's worth it.  Eventually we are looking to create a 501c-3 foundation to help others but, for now, we are just looking for some foundation somewhere that will give the money to the people rather than to overhead, research, providing information, scrubs, medical equipment or wherever it usually goes.  I thank God for my partner in crime, Dru, for having a passion for this cause and being willing to help me get it all off the ground.  We are making baby steps every day and I know that by June we will be so proud of what we have done to help!

As my Streams in the Desert reading said on the 30th,
"When all our hopes are gone, 
It is best our hands keep toiling on 
for others' sake:
For strength to bear is found in duty done;
And he is best indeed who learns to make
The joy of others cure his own heartache.

So planning for the 1st Annual "Drive for Dinger" is underway and in full swing (no pun intended)!  Keep touching base for updates!