Walk For Lupus Now LA 2011

Here we go again.  Its 5 days till the Lupus Walk in LA.  Here are the details:

Saturday, September 24, 2011Los AngelesWalk for Lupus NowCheck-in: 9:00 AM Walk Starts: 10:00 AM
Christmas Tree Lane at Exposition Park

Enter at Figueroa and 39th in Los Angeles, CA
Parking is $12 - cash only

I'll be walking again in memory of my dear sista-from-another-mista, Ms. Emeline Te'o.  This will be our 5th year walking and 3 years since her passing.  It doesn't seem like its been that long.  Time is a weird thing.  I miss her.  We get together every year (or twice a year for the UT family that does that walk) to remember her and do what we can to help those through research donations so they don't have to go through the same thing.  Em was only 25 years when she left us, 25.  I remember visiting her for the last time in the hospital.  She had been in and out of the hospital before but had always came out and I didn't really think it was that serious till that last visit.  I remember calling Hana afterwards (she was living in AZ then) and just being blown away.  I'd never seen her like that before.  I bough her a dumb little piggy bank that she could paint and travel Connect 4.  Uncle and cousin were there visiting her also, watching a movie with her.  I sat there and let her win at Connect 4.  She was on a liquid diet at that time.  She keep telling me how we were going to eat it up when she got out.  I agreed to take her wherever she wanted to go.  I really thought she would get out.  I'm not sure why I'm recalling this now.  I use to be afraid to die. I'm not anymore.  I know I'll be greeted by so many people I've lost in this life.  Its going to be a happy reunion.  I can wait for that reunion (I have my goal set to at least reach 100 yrs) but am not afraid for it to come.  I'm just so greatful for life and greateful to be able to have made the most out of it.  Em might has died young, but I know she didn't die without living.  She may have been limited in the things she could do but that didn't stop her.  I remember her complaining about not being about to go to the beach one day to play volleyball with her friends.  She ended up saying "screw it" and went anyways.  She was a little firecracker. Ha.  I loved that about her.  It might have made her sick, but she didn't want to miss out on anything.

There are two walks for Lupus in my area annually.  I walk in LA with my team (Troop ET) and volunteer for the walk in Orange County.  I love doing both but have had the opportunity to meet lots of really great people thorough volunteering for the OC walk.  I feel like in a way its been a "therapy session" of sorts.