Not To Be Trusted With Knives

LG4CF – One Year Later

August 26, 2012 by Beth

One year ago today, I started playing a hockey game that didn’t stop for 10 days, 3 hours, and 5 minutes. It’s hard to believe that it’s been a whole year since then, but also, as I’m finding always seems to happen with really pivotal events, it also seems a lifetime ago. Even when I was driving home right after the game, I remember thinking, “Did I just dream that?” It seemed so surreal to have played in something so huge, to have pushed myself beyond all reasonable physical limits ((And lived to tell the tale!)), to have had the honour to have raised so much awareness for so worthy a cause as Cystic Fibrosis, not to mention being part of the raising of $171,000 for Cystic Fibrosis Canada.

As I reflect back, the things that stand out are not the pain & self-deprivation-induced delirium & weird physiological abnormalities  ((Which, thankfully, faded over time.)) ^, ((Though I have heard that some of the other women are still suffering from injuries sustained during the game, so I really am lucky.)), but the gratitude I feel for all the people who supported me in so many different ways and the pride I feel in having been able to help, even in just a small way, to trying to improve the quality of life of those living with Cystic Fibrosis through raising much needed money for research. I was just reading back over my blog postings from the game  ((And I’m so glad I have my blog – there were things I’d written there that I forgot about – made me smile.)) and it reminded me of the families who came  to the rink with their kids who have CF to thank us for what we were doing and it was so humbling to hear their stories and their gratitude. It reminded us that the suffering we were endearing in those 10 days pales in comparison to a lifetime with Cystic Fibrosis. I didn’t have any ties to CF before the game, but that experience has made Cystic Fibrosis Canada one of my top charities to support, for life.

The other thing that always comes to mind when I think abou the game is my dad. My dad loved watching the live stream of that hockey game – he had it on running on his computer 24/7 and he had my schedule posted right next to it so he could watch all of my shifts. I’m am so grateful that my dad was around during that time because that was the only time he ever got to see me playing hockey and I know it made him very happy. He was proud of me and he loved the game and that is a part of what I’ll treasure about the experience.

We are going to have a reunion of all the players in September and I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone again!

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