Mother’s Day: The Race

Happy Friday, lovely people of the internet world! We made it.

This weekend is super special. In case you’ve been living under a ROCK, it’s special because Sunday is Mother’s Day. And because I recently discovered I lost about 3 years worth of photos on my computer, this post will also be dedicated to flashback Friday (#fbf). Bear with me.

Mother’s Day was pretty low key when I was a kid. We would get my mom some sort of plant at a plant sale at school. I’m sure she was “thrilled” to receive such a unique, thoughtful item from her children year after year. I don’t know what kind of plant it was and I have no idea what my mom did with them after we gave them to her. Though she really does enjoy gardening, so maybe a plant for my mama wasn’t such a bad gift.

One year I made her a flower pot. I was really proud of it. I used to think I was a phenomenal artist. Sometimes when I’m on the phone I draw some doodles and I must say, there may be some untapped talent there. I’m not sure what happened to the pot I made for my mom. She probably donated it to an art museum so it would be preserved. Because that’s how awesome it was.

Now I’m a mom. My kids are still too little to buy me potted plants from school. Mother’s Day is basically up to my husband. Fortunately for him, there’s this amazing race we do together every year so he’s pretty much off the hook for planning anything substantial. The race we do is just a one-miler. It’s super family-friendly, though, which is great. In fact, two kids came up with the concept, and it has blossomed into a wonderful event for Mother’s Day.

Yep, I’m a mom. Look at this face! #fbf

This will be my 5th year doing this race. What is it, you ask? It’s called The Race. It’s a very small, very exciting one-mile family event. There’s a run and a walk. It’s in a shopping plaza. There’s live music, there’s a bounce house, there’s face painting. But most importantly, it’s the cause that draws the participants. You see, The Race gives 100% of the proceeds to the University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, which is dedicated to research, raising awareness, and finding the cure for breast cancer.

“The idea for The Race was originated twelve years ago by Josh Berns, then 13 years old, and Danielle Berns, then 11 years old. Josh and Danielle began Kids for the Cure, now known as The Race, as a way to harness young people to actively fight to eradicate breast cancer. The Race is a family event, where children learn that they can make a difference by raising both money for research and awareness about the disease. Everyone knows someone whose life has been affected by breast cancer, and Josh and Danielle’s ideas for The Race fueled their passion to help others who may benefit from early detection and the research advances that are being used to save and prolong lives.”

#fbf My first “The Race” experience!

This weekend is my last run before my 26.2 mile adventure through Cleveland, and I must say, I can’t imagine any better way than to spend it run/walking a mile with my kids and husband to benefit breast cancer research. If you’re in the greater Cleveland area, and you don’t have much on your agenda for Sunday morning, I encourage you to join us and a hundred other run/walkers for a laid back, fun run for a GREAT cause. (Click here for more information.)

I look forward to the days of homemade flower pots, potted plants, and glittery cards, but I hope this is one tradition we don’t let go of. It’s fun, it’s for a great cause, and it’s encouraging my children (and many, many others) to live an active, healthy lifestyle. What more can you ask for?

And while I’ve got your attention, sending lots of love and Happy Mother’s Day wishes to all the moms in my life but especially my mom, Maxine, because she’s the best.