Since Dad's passing, the summer months are always filled with mixed emotions. While I have fond memories of my Dad, I also experience not so happy ones as I recall how difficult the summer of 2008 was -- just two years ago. And June is always the kickoff to a slew of family birthdays, wedding anniversaries as well as the end of Dad's cancer journey. So a walk for a cause is a most welcome positive reaction to the anticipation of mournful reflection.
While we anticipated a walk in tremendous humidity, the train of tie-dyed cherry & blueberry slurpee-colored, walk-for-hemophilia t-shirts made for a most pleasant & festive stroll under the trees' shade. The one-mile route proved to be enough, especially once E.L. made a run for the ice cream cart, a sure sign that his walk was complete . . . and well worth it!
After our communal trek, we headed back home for our customary Pho Thanh Hoa meal, where we shared a Vietnamese feast, including our usual iced Viet coffees (slow drip with condensed milk), as well as hours-long, laughter-filled story-telling. What was an ordinary collective march for a cause was also a tribute to our extraordinary experience with an easy & warm friendship. Thanks, E. & E. (A. & Mama G. too)!
