Selling Tulips on Friday

This past weekend was a busy one. I hit the ground running on Friday. I was working the tulip table at Race for the Cure Registration starting at 11. I took the day off to do my duty as a volunteer. I didn't expect for this volunteer activity to hit me like it did. I just thought I would be selling tulips, writing the messages on them, and taping stakes to them. I didn't expect to become emotionally involved. I really didn't expect to be sharing my mom's story with everyone either. It caught me off guard. People would wander over to the table after registering and they would ask me how the tulips worked. I would explain it to them and then the conversation became personal, based on the messages they left on these tulips. One lady asked me if I was a survivor, to which I said no but my mother was. She then asked me a bunch of questions about my mom. She then told me she had just been diagnosed with breast cancer within the last couple of months and was headed to radiation after they registered. Wow! Here I am telling her all about my mom when she herself is a SURVIVOR. I wasn't exactly sure what to say. I of course congratulated her and thanked her so much for doing the race, as well as buying a tulip. There were many instances like this on Friday. One girl came in to buy tulips for her aunt, mom, and sister. All the women in her family have battled breast cancer and were fighting it! I had an excellent time volunteering with the tulips but found myself emotionally drained when it was all said and done. I had awoken that morning thinking I was just going to do a job. I left there with an immense appreciation for all these survivors who are fighting and winning this battle. I left there being so thankful to God for taking care of my mother through her battles!