tomorrow, BC and i are walking in the Race for the Cure as part of the Syrentha Savio Endowment team. it is only a 3 mile trot (with me pushing a stroller while BC probably squirms and won't be able to decide whether she wants to be in the stroller or out) but it means a great deal to me.

syrentha was my friend. syrentha was a joyous, wonderful woman. she loved to travel, loved her family, loved her life. there were pictures of her beloved nephew in her cube, and she just adored so many people. and so many adored her right back. one night, i remember she babysat BC so that we could go out. (we seldom went out until BC turned 2.5.) BC talked and talked about “samantha” for days afterward and how much fun she had with her.

i remember when syrentha first told me about her breast cancer. i had heard from a little birdie, and then, when i noticed that she was wearing a lot of hats/scarves on her head, it was pretty apparent that some heavy-duty treatment had commenced. i told her about my mom. my mom has lost both breasts to breast cancer. but 22 and 19 years later (respectively), i am grateful that my mom is still a beloved pain in my patoot. i wanted syrentha to hear positive stories of women who LIVED. she had already lost her mother, and i believe an aunt, to cancer. this chick probably could do with some happy stories, i figured.

but no one could ever take away the sheer delight of syrentha in her life. i think she always believed that she might fight this one out and win. i remember her telling me about the permanent tube she had put in so that they could have an easier time putting in her medication. she seemed so calm, so at ease with it all. and when she was gravely ill, she pooh-poohed everything and vamoosed off to italy with her beloved husband for a last, magical getaway. i never did get to see the pictures, but she described the adventure as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

a few months later, in january, she died. she was 32.

her husband set up her endowment to raise funds for people who cannot afford chemo or other cancer treatments. we are raising money for this and for all breast cancer victims — and survivors.

i miss syrentha's sense of humor, her grace, and her perspective. i'm lucky i got to know her.