Just to let my readers know that I will be gone from the blog for another month or so. Due to real life circumstances I have been away from home. If you read my post on why I relay you will have a good idea as to where I am and what I am doing. To say that full time caregivers aren’t given enough credit would be an understatement! I am glad my personal life allows me this time to be here for my parents and help them through this, along with my siblings. Hopefully things will resume as usual in a month or so, but if not please be patient with me. And for those of you who are the solo caregivers to an ailing family member or friend, You are amazing and doing a fabulous job!

This year when Fantasy Faire opened I was on the road traveling from my home to my parents home. The reason for my travel is related to the purpose of Fantasy Faire and that is to raise money in the fight against cancer. Below you will find the reason for why I relay and who I relay for this year and all the years to come.

Every year as part of the Fantasy Faire people are asked why the relay and every year I skip this part. To be honest it’s usually because I feel like my reasons are lame, donating to charity makes me feel good. I like feeling like a good and nice human being.

This is different. This year I have a reason to relay, or rather a person to relay for. Earlier this year my greatest supporter in life, my dad, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I always thought of my dad as some sort of immortal superhero. Never did I think that after all he has been and done would cancer be the thing to take him from us. He served in the military during Vietnam, was a volunteer EMT, worked for our hometown’s historical society and a whole lot of other good works. He’s one of those people who you think should be allowed to pass of old age peacefully in their sleep. While I write this he is still with us, but no one really knows how much longer that will be for. I know that for me personally the world will seem a little dimmer when his light is gone from it.

In fact, I am currently living out of a hotel just a few minutes away from my parents’ house. Prior to the fair starting I made the decision, with my family, to drive the 17 hours to be with my parents and to help and support them in any way I can. Lately it seems that help is to run and get my dad a chocolate milkshake which is one of the only things he will eat right now. The whispered conversations between my mom, my sister and I are ones I never thought I would ever have, and no one should ever have to have. Seeing someone you love so much be beaten down by this malevolent force is something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. So, if you, like myself and many others, want to help put an end to this terrible monster, then please visit the Faire and shop or even just toss some lindens into one of the donation kiosks. Seriously even if it’s just one linden those add up fast when thousands of people do it.

That being said, this year and every year after I will relay for my dad, my hero, and the man who has always loved me no matter what mistakes I have made.