There are a lot of things I really hate doing. Some, I dislike the way a child hates broccoli–there is no good reason for it beyond not liking the taste or the way the thing looks, or the way it feels in your mouth. Eventually we outgrow those things–most of us. Today I will happily eat mushrooms, broccoli, even spinach–but cooked carrots still don’t do it for me–neither do beets.

I hate war in general on moral grounds, siding with Ben Franklin’s statement that there has never been a good war or a bad peace. I recognize that some wars have to be fought–World War II being the most striking example–because sometimes evil can really only be opposed by that level of violence. But most are as ridiculous as the conflict in Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels over which end of the egg to break.

 In the personal sphere, however, there is little I find more difficult to do than ask other people for money. On the whole, I’d rather simply write a check myself or do without.

Unfortunately, solving the riddle of cancer requires more resources than I can write a personal check big enough to make a dent in. It takes lots of us giving what we can, not only to pay for the research, but also to pay for the support that no insurance policy anywhere can provide for patients.

Chemo and radiation therapy do nasty things to a person’s physical appearance. A woman or man who has lost their hair takes a powerful hit to his or her self-esteem and self-image. That loss can lead to a negative attitude about treatment and the possibility of success.

For some, a ride to Boston or New York for treatment is a godsend. Living alone, as I now do, I sometimes think about what would happen if I were diagnosed with the cancer Jane had. How would I get to those appointments when I could no longer drive myself?

When most of us think about the American Cancer Society, we think about the research end of things. But the ACS does more than support research. It provides wigs. It provides lessons in make-up and in how to tie a scarf in ways that are attractive and disguise the absence of hair. They provide rides to treatments and dozens of other kinds of support services most of us would never think about until we knew someone who needed them.

Today, March 24, The Greater Fall River Relay for Life is doing a $24 in 24 hours challenge. We are asking everyone involved with our Relay to raise at least $24 today online.

Please, go to our Walking with Jane Relay for Life site right now and make a donation. You can put it on whatever team member you want or just donate it to the team in general. Or pick some other GFR team. But please help us get to our Team goal of $480 today.

The Greater Fall River goal for today is $13,464.

Help us put cancer on the run.

Thank you.

Pax et lux,

Harry