Running the Race with Gratitude, Perseverance, Hope, and Faith – Sprint VIII (Final)

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

“For a CHILD IS BORN to us, and a son is given to us.” — Isaiah 9:6
This Christmas prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus, bringing hope to each of us as we continue running our races.

Before stepping into this final Sprint VIII, I want to pause and reflect on two meaningful race photos I shared in my last blog—both capturing special moments of my daughter and me. The first captures a 5K race we ran together in 2012 when she was in elementary school. The second is from the half marathon we completed together when she was in middle school. We ran many races over the years, including the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure before my diagnosis, but these two moments stand out as our first 5K and our first half marathon together. I deeply cherish those long training days, the shared determination, and the sense of accomplishment we experienced side by side.

I’m also sharing photos of my pink sisters—Patti Conforti, Jennifer McIntyre, and Devika Washington—whom I’ve featured throughout this blog series. Earlier this month, we gathered at Patti’s home to tour her breathtaking display of more than 20 Christmas trees. It truly felt like a Christmas wonderland. One tree in particular stood out: the Breast Cancer Survivor, Fighter, and Warrior Tree—absolutely stunning, just like the incredible women beside it. I also had the joy of reconnecting with a few former colleagues there. Thank you, Patti, for such a warm and memorable invitation.




This brings me to the final leg of the race. I didn’t ask my pink sisters any questions this time. Instead, I simply sensed what we already know—we are in this together, and we are not alone. None of us knows what the future holds. Among us are survivors, fighters, and warriors. What binds us is our commitment to run this race with gratitude, perseverance, hope, and faith—supporting one another when needed, without interference. Thank you, my pink sisters, for your time, your honesty, and for making space to come together.

I want to dedicate this blog to several groups of people:

  • Those who lost their battle with cancer—this does not mean they didn’t fight hard. Their journey on this earth ended because God needed them sooner.
  • Those who are still fighting and standing strong as warriors.
  • Those who fought and survived.
  • And those who fought, survived, and faced the battle again—sometimes many times.

I would also like to thank Toastmasters for offering blog writing as an elective, which challenged me to step outside my comfort zone and write this series instead of choosing something more familiar.

My sincere thanks to my mentor, Rammesh Rajagopal, for his support and valuable feedback during the development of this blog. I greatly appreciate his mentorship. You are truly blessed if you find a mentor who continues to check in on you and support you long after your paths first crossed. Interestingly, during our very first mentoring session, he encouraged me to write a blog about something I was working on—and I did. That piece never got published despite several attempts, but perhaps that was a blessing in disguise. Instead of one unpublished blog, God gave me the opportunity to write eight.

Along the way, you will meet people who support you, those who don’t, and some who only show up when it serves their needs. Be kind anyway. Don’t run a race to beat others—run it to lift those beside you, even when you’ve already crossed the finish line. I am not perfect, and I’ve failed many times, but I’ve learned that growth comes from learning, reflecting, and striving to be better each day.

Thank you for running this final sprint with me. Some of you mentioned you couldn’t comment directly on the blog—that’s perfectly okay. I don’t receive credit for comments anyway. I truly appreciate your likes, messages on LinkedIn or Facebook, and the emails you’ve sent. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you want to talk or ask questions. I’ve processed this journey well and am open to sharing what I’ve learned along the way.

I’ll close this final sprint with the same question I asked in my first blog:
Have you ever wondered what God’s plan truly is for your life? I may not yet have a definite answer to that question, but I believe one part of God’s plan for me was writing this blog series. What about you?

I’m sharing a family photo taken after today’s Christmas Mass with our Parochial Vicar Fr.Boban at St. Mary Mother of the Church.

Farewell—and thank you for cheering me on throughout this race.


 

 

 

 

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