"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible."
-- St. Francis of Assisi
Waaay back on January 5th I signed up for my 13th PMC ride. It's now March 20th and time to really get started in earnest on PMC 2016.
It was a mild winter here in Massachusetts with relatively little snow, so I was able to ride my bike to work all the way up to Dec 31, 2015. In fact, it's been so mild that in these first three months of 2016 I've been able to bike to work dozens more times and managed to get in a nice 40-mile ride when we had a warm snap a couple of weekends back. But even with the extra bike time this winter, I'm certainly not getting any faster -- snd I've made my peace with that. I just try to keep on riding and "practicing the art of the possible." I also try to just keep going because -- at least for me -- that "getting started bit" is always the toughest thing...
We all know someone who's dealing with cancer. And probably multiple someones. But how do we help? What can I do? Where to start? Turns out, it really doesn't matter how you start; it only matters that you start. Just start.
It can be so simple: call them and say "Hi". Bring over a pizza. Whatever. Little things can mean a lot -- especially for folks dealing with chemo or radiation. There's just no extra energy to get "the usual" stuff done. And it can start to feel a little isolating when the people you spend the most time talking to are doctors, nurses and insurance companies. So as their friend, all you really need to do is start by doing what's necessary. Just start.
I am started and my plan is a simple one:
- Ride a bike.
- Raise money to fund cancer research & treatment.
- Repeat until cancer is history.
So if you can, please help with your donation to this year's PMC. My goal is to raise at least $8000 for the Jimmy Fund this year. You can help us get there by donating online at following this link: http://www.pmc.org/profile/DM0192
100 percent of your donation will go directly to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute -- the same for every other rider. Short of you personally handing cash to a doctor, nurse or researcher, there is no more efficient way for you to help improve cancer treatment and research.
Thanks for reading. I appreciate your time and welcome your comments and email.
/doug
