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To the Editor,
I wish to share this description of part of the American Cancer Society, Hammondsport Relay for Life with your readers.
We participants filled hundreds of luminary bags with sand and a candle. These were purchased by loved ones of cancer patients - survivors and those that will not see another Birthday. As we filled the bags, and read the names to ourselves we felt the person IN our HEARTS. We silently thanked the families and friends for sharing their loved one with us. Tears were near by in each of us and when we accidentally picked up a bag that had a name we recognized and of a person we loved....we couldn’t hold back tears any longer. We cried. We hugged each other and we shared our loved one with others as they gave us a hug.
The weather was too wet to set the bags around the track as usually practiced. WE DID however, thanks to the wonderful fire company and its members , have free use of the grounds and the building. The firemen cleared out the trucks and gave us use of the truck bay to set up the luminaries. The bags were set up into the pattern of a path~ and a heart and also with the word HOPE spelled out with the bags.
As we gathered with our candles to light the hundreds of luminaries, we surrounded the bags and listened to a beautiful ladies choir group sing songs that pulled at our hearts . We were asked to light the candles in silence. As a group of near a hundred lit the candles. The truck bay was NOT silent. Silence was broken by sobs of grief and the sounds of people trying to suppress crying. Praying was heard , as loved ones prayed for the living and thanked God for the time they had with those that did not beat cancer. After all of the candles were lit, we walked the path with in the bay.
I have seen the luminaries placed around the track at other Relay events~ It was quite beautiful... but being a part of the readying and placing and lighting really made a mark on me. Seeing all of the bags in such a small area by comparison to a track... was SO sadly beautiful.
Like visiting with the essence of each person represented by the bags. All captured in between the cement block walls~ Leaving the bay when the luminary celebration was over was hard to do.
As it felt like saying goodbye to the people the bags were dedicated to. However , it felt good to have honored these people and the people who donated to this cause by purchasing the luminaria.
Everyone should witness the luminary event at least once~ Allowing the emotions to take place is very cleansing and leaves a peace behind.
You can witness this and the whole relay event at The 2010 Relay For Life of Hornell NY is August 13-14, at Veterans Memorial Park.
Debra Ackley
Hammondsport
To the Editor,
I wish to share this description of part of the American Cancer Society, Hammondsport Relay for Life with your readers.
We participants filled hundreds of luminary bags with sand and a candle. These were purchased by loved ones of cancer patients - survivors and those that will not see another Birthday. As we filled the bags, and read the names to ourselves we felt the person IN our HEARTS. We silently thanked the families and friends for sharing their loved one with us. Tears were near by in each of us and when we accidentally picked up a bag that had a name we recognized and of a person we loved....we couldn’t hold back tears any longer. We cried. We hugged each other and we shared our loved one with others as they gave us a hug.
The weather was too wet to set the bags around the track as usually practiced. WE DID however, thanks to the wonderful fire company and its members , have free use of the grounds and the building. The firemen cleared out the trucks and gave us use of the truck bay to set up the luminaries. The bags were set up into the pattern of a path~ and a heart and also with the word HOPE spelled out with the bags.
As we gathered with our candles to light the hundreds of luminaries, we surrounded the bags and listened to a beautiful ladies choir group sing songs that pulled at our hearts . We were asked to light the candles in silence. As a group of near a hundred lit the candles. The truck bay was NOT silent. Silence was broken by sobs of grief and the sounds of people trying to suppress crying. Praying was heard , as loved ones prayed for the living and thanked God for the time they had with those that did not beat cancer. After all of the candles were lit, we walked the path with in the bay.
I have seen the luminaries placed around the track at other Relay events~ It was quite beautiful... but being a part of the readying and placing and lighting really made a mark on me. Seeing all of the bags in such a small area by comparison to a track... was SO sadly beautiful.
Like visiting with the essence of each person represented by the bags. All captured in between the cement block walls~ Leaving the bay when the luminary celebration was over was hard to do.
As it felt like saying goodbye to the people the bags were dedicated to. However , it felt good to have honored these people and the people who donated to this cause by purchasing the luminaria.
Everyone should witness the luminary event at least once~ Allowing the emotions to take place is very cleansing and leaves a peace behind.
You can witness this and the whole relay event at The 2010 Relay For Life of Hornell NY is August 13-14, at Veterans Memorial Park.
Debra Ackley
Hammondsport
