We Need Hope

Hi ya'll,
I've kinda been living under a torrent of emotions for the last couple of weeks. I've got pictures -- somewhere -- to explain a bit more, but it's really been a river of a gazillion different emotions.

M'Lys and I went to Snyder a couple of weeks ago to clean out Mom's house in a marathon session. Actually, it was far more of a sprint. We worked our tails off. But we got it done.

And it was a journey.

Then, last week, the girls and I went to church camp up on Lake Livingston. Kait was a Jr. Camper, and it was quite the adventure.

School starts two weeks from yesterday -- and I'm more than ready. We've had an incredible summer, but I need a big rest to get ready for the next one!

Once school kicks in, I'll begin my Big Countdown to the 3-Day. It'll be just around the corner, and it's time I started training. And you'll be hearing a lot about that from me.

BUT..... Today we need to talk about something else. We need to talk about Hope and why we need it so much. Last night I was talking to a friend about Team Tiara and Hope Field, and I just couldn't quit talking. (I know that's hard for you to believe.) BUT, you see, as I talked I just got more and more excited and wanted to share all the more.

And the timing.... Well, this hit the news yesterday. A link between childhood obesity and early puberty and breast cancer all tied up in a package. You see, researchers are trying to figure out if there is a link between childhood obesity and the earlier onset of puberty. This is something that has been bandied about for a while. With two girls, that hits my radar screen. But what is even more concerning to me is the fact that they think it might increase the chance of breast cancer later on. That the longer a woman menstruates (Personally can't believe I just typed that word.), the higher her chance of breast cancer.

The article also talked about how this earlier puberty can affect a girls' self-image and behavior.

A few months ago, a friend from college posted a note on Facebook about Vicki Courtney's Blog. Vicki addresses this early puberty / self-esteem issue in her book: Five Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter. This book is a must-read for anyone with daughters and really was a wake-up call for me.

I know, I know.... Land that plane.

Here goes....

When we were first approached about helping with Hope Field, I'll admit I was a little concerned about how it would go over. I didn't want anyone for one second to think that we were steering away from our main purpose -- to find a cure for breast cancer. I didn't want anyone thinking we were just turning a field pink for the sake of turning it pink. (While I do love the color pink, I am getting a bit tired of it and do hope we can hurry up and find the bloomin' cure.)

But here's the deal -- that article yesterday really put into perspective the REALLY BIG PICTURE that Hope Field encompasses.

Once Hope Field is built, it is going to have a Breast Cancer Awareness theme. And I hope that it opens up a line of communication in the homes of our girls about breast cancer. About how important it is to be aware of any changes in your body. About how it's important to take care of your bodies and stay healthy.

But it doesn't stop there. One of the huge benefits to involving children in team sports is that it helps keep them healthy. And strong. And builds self-esteem. The Women's Sports Foundation has some great information on the benefits of team sports for girls.

And staying healthy comes around to decreasing the instance of breast cancer. If you didn't follow the link, here's a little snippet:

•As little as four hours of exercise a week may reduce a teenage girl's risk of breast cancer by up to 60%; breast cancer is a disease that afflicts one out of every eight American women. (Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 1994)

We need Hope Field. We need it here, and we need it in neighborhoods around the country. I don't know if this is the start of something big, but I do know that the Something Big often starts out small.

If you live in Fairfield and have daughters, or even if you don't, we need you to help. The Hope Field Committee has raised close to $20,000 -- about half of what's needed to build this field.

We've gotten all the approvals we need and are ready to start building. If you want to be a part of this, or if your company wants to be a part of this, please let me know.

Help us build Hope on the Hill. Checks can be made out to Team Tiara with "Hope Field" in the memo line. You can send them to: Team Tiara, P.O. Box 2433, Cypress, Texas 77410-2433. If you have any questions, you can shoot me an email to: dlyn (at) teamtiara (dot) net. Team Tiara is operating as a 501 (3) (c) non-profit foundation. Your donation is tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.

Thanks for your help!
- d.