I've got a little secret

No, really I do.  

Of course, the odds of anyone reading this and knowing the person that I know a secret about is pretty astronomic, but still.  I don't want to be the one to spoil the party.  

However, I also can't (generally) keep (well, maybe *can't* is too strong a word... let's just say it's difficult) a secret well when it's good news or something happy.  

Or as in this case, something awesome for someone that can use a boost. 

Let's back up, shall we?

Two years ago, my daughter-in-law (Geez I don't have a clever blogosphere name for her yet) was a videographer for the local paper by us.  She did a story on some pink fire trucks that visited cancer patients at two hospitals in the area.  The video showed survivors writing their name on a pink fire engine, getting hugs from firefighters dressed in pink, and telling how great it made them feel even if just for a day.

Where do I sign up?

That was my first thought.  It looked like something I wanted to very much be a part of.  I fired up the Google machine and found this and signed up to go "on tour" with a pink fire truck.  I got accepted and so last year, from May 14th to the 24th, I was part of the 2011 Pink Heals Mother's Day Tour.  

My first ever event was a home visit about 45 miles outside of Bakersfield, California.  A convoy of three pink fire trucks, we stopped about a half mile from the ranch where these folks lived.  A woman, just finishing her first round of chemo, and her husband, a retired Captain from the Kern County Fire Department, made their home out in the middle of farm country, a beautiful piece of land where, I'm sure, all they wanted was to live a peaceful life entertaining grandkids and working with the land.

Til cancer stepped in.  

So, as three pink fire trucks made their way up the gravel driveway, lights flashing and sirens blaring, and as we pulled to a stop in front of the ranch, the woman came out of the house with her husband.  She had no idea we were coming.  The first one off was one of her sons.  All dressed in pink turnout gear.  Then two more of us, dressed the same way, got off.  As we all walked over to her, so her son could give her a dozen roses, the hug-a-thon began.  

Every one of us, six firefighters from all over the country, gave her a hug, told her we loved her, told her to keep on fighting.

I said it for the first time that day and every time I've retold the story I repeat it...

"I'm 52 years old.  I've done a lot of cool things in my life.  This is the coolest thing I've ever done."

I meant it then and I mean it now.

So, what does all that have to do with a secret, you might ask?  No, really, you might ask that.  In fact, humor me, ask that now as you read..

Allow me to continue.

As soon as I finished the tour, I knew I wanted to bring it to the town where I work.  I've been here 20 years next month (God I feel old saying that) and I want to do something for the community that has provided me with so much.

So I talked to the guys in my local union (got full support), talked to my bosses (got mostly full support), talked to the wonderful people across the street at the hospital and their cancer care center, and talked to Dave and Lisa, the amazing people that came up with the Pink Heals Tour.  When I found out the Tour was coming to my area this year, I managed to get a stop in our town and started working on setting up local events.  We'll be at our hospital and at a local restaurant but and here's where the secret comes in, the part I'm most pleased with is, drumroll please.............

We got a home visit set up.

I just spoke with the husband yesterday, he and his stepdaughter are all in.  And the best part is the wife doesn't know we'll be coming.

She just had a double mastectomy, her prognosis is good, but her family thought we could provide a big boost to her by doing what we do best.

We care.

We support.

We love.

We're Guardians of the Ribbon.

We're the Pink Heals Tour.

I'm going to try and post a journal of sorts from the road this year. We'll see how THAT goes, lol

Peace.