This morning was absolutely contagious. For newcomers, which I was, it might feel somewhat overwhelming and slightly cultish; for the most part, everyone is in various shades of electrifying neon, which perfectly pairs with the intense energy circling throughout the room. Music is pumping, everyone is cheering, people are dancing, pom poms are waved about in the air, everyone is happy.
Everyone is happy, and it is absolutely contagious
This morning I participated in Cycle For Survival, a national movement to beat rare cancer. It is an indoor cycling event that raises money for cancer research, with every dollar going toward research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center right here in the city.
My best friend, Laura, works in at lab at Sloan doing cancer research, became involved with Cycle for Survival last year while I was living overseas. I was supposed to be away this weekend but wound up pushing it back to a later date, and so I joined Team Spinjas just last weekend to participate in this year’s event.
This isn’t the first time I have been involved with cancer-related charity work. In university, I participated in the world’s largest student-run fundraiser known as Thon, short for the Penn State IFC/Pan-Hellenic Dance Marathon. It is a year-long effort to raise money for paediatric cancer, that culminates with a no sit, no sleep, 46-hour on your feet marathon. It was, and continues to be, absolutely incredible.
And just last year, I participated in the Shitbox Rally, a six-day journey across the Australian Outback in a shitbox of a car, all in the name of cancer. Not only was I participating in a cancer fundraiser, but I was getting to see the country I had called home in a totally different light just before I waved good bye to it for good.
It’s easy in life to get down on ourselves, to feel bad for ourselves, to throw ourselves a pity party when things seem to not be working well. I know I am guilty of doing it, despite all the lessons I’ve learned from personal hardships I have experienced that have shown me how dark, difficult, and devastating life can truly be.
The truth is, shit happens: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Some things eventually give us hindsight, bring us to a place of acceptance or understanding, and unfortuntaly some things aren’t fair, they aren’t right, and they can never be explained.
But what I can say is that we all get one life. Today, in that room coming together to cycle with friends who have been by my side for 20 or more years, along with strangers whose energy and smiles kept me cycling, I loved my life. And I do love my life. Despite moments of doubt or insecurities that sneak heir way into my goals or pursuits, I do really love my life.
And I hope you love yours, too.