#WhyIRelayWednesdays

With Relay 4 Life coming up on my campus, I’ve had a lot of time to stop and remember those people who have battled cancer. Today, my sorority’s relay 4 life chair encouraged us to look beyond the other things going on in our lives and reflect and even join the cause.

Relay 4 life is a campus wide event that happens every year; I went in my first year and had the most amazing time – I had the chance to eat some crazy foods, dress up in wild costumes, enter and win a couple contests but most importantly met some awe inspiring people. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to participate the last two years because of conflicting work schedules, but with it soon approaching, the topic lingers in my head.

~   If you’ve seen my blog lately, or if you personally know me, I was heavily into art for about 8 years (still am, just looking to find time in my schedule) and during my junior year in high school, internal organs were my thing (WEIRD, because I hate blood and anything of that sort), and my art was always inspired by my writing – which reflected what I was going through. ~

So… what does art have to do with WHY I relay? Well, a couple of my pieces were inspired by my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE english teacher, David Menasche. He has been battling brain cancer for years now, and is the source of so much inspiration in my life. He is the reason I relay. This man could’ve complained about his situation and instead chose to do something better and taught, REALLY taught his students. He recently traveled across the country from Miami all the way to the Pacific Ocean (for the first time) and is now a published writer of his book The Priority List. 

I wish I could take all the time in the world to thank him because whether he knows it or not, he got me through one of the toughest times in my life and has shown me to look at the world and treat it in ways I could never have had I not met him.

So today, I want to put the spotlight on him – although with his amazing book and journey, he’s had lots of that already – and tell the world why I relay.