August 2, 2008

I visited my sister's grave site today in LaFollette, TN. I hike to honor Cheryl's memory and to raise money for breast cancer patients and their families. I am leaving Cincinnati on August 15th to complete my 2,650 mile Pacific Crest Trail hike. I sprinkled forget-me-not seeds around her grave site as I will do all along my hike out west. Cheryl's memory is my footpath of pride. The pink roses were gorgeous enough to imagine that they carried a beautiful and strong aroma. I knelt down to smell them even though I knew that the flowers were not live. My husband, Bruce, and our three pugs....Beau, Bruin, and Buster all accompanied me. Out of respect for the non-living, we kept the dogs away from all of the grave sites. A train rumbled by on the railroad tracks behind the cemetery. I always laugh about this because our father worked for the railroad for over 40 years. I feel that this is Cheryl's way of saying "Hi" to me. After this visit to my sister's grave site, I am now in hiker mode and ready-to-go physically and mentally. Cheryl was my inspiration in 2004, 2006, 2007 and now again in 2008. Ladybug