The Sandra Bullock's sister,Gesine Bullock Prado,made this campaign in honor of her mother, Helga Bullock, victim of Cancer

The Sandra Bullock's sister,Gesine Bullock Prado,made this campaign in honor of her mother, Helga Bullock (photo), victim of Cancer

Running in Circles for Helga & a Recipe to Aid a Moving Benedition





I started running in 2000. I'd put on my ratty sweats, roughly scrape my hair into a pony tail, check to see that mom was comfortable and then I'd walk the half block down 26th street to North Fillmore, cross the street and then I'd start what had become a moving prayer.

I ran a 1/4 mile loop over and over, a loose circle lined with childhood memories: That's where the Carreys lived until 7th grade, and the Rattigans were nestled down that side street until sometime in 4th grade and the Wrenns had always faced directly onto the main drag across from Woodmont elementary. All these neighbors, they used to bear witness to my mother running this same circuit every day. On a slow day, she'd average five miles. That's 20 laps. On a training day, she'd edge towards 20 miles.

My sad sack hamstrings screamed after one measly mile. But I bullied on, one sloppy footfall after another, my jagged rhythm playing metronome to my silent benediction, "please. please. please. please."

Please, stop her suffering. Please, show her mercy. Please, give her comfort. Please.

Less than nine years before I started my pathetic 4 lap devotional, my mother was running marathons. How was it that she was now dying of cancer?

And because I'd asked "Why?" every day for the five years she'd suffered without so much as a cosmic courtesy reply, on her last days I ran in her honor and in her footsteps to plead for the end of her suffering.

She's been gone for close to eleven years and I still ask please. Please stop the suffering. Please show some mercy. Please give us comfort. Please, enough with the cancer already.

Since I haven't gotten so much as an automatic "out of office" email response to my non-denominational ecumenical badgering, I've decided to stop asking, to stop pleading and to simply start running. To honor Helga. To honor all the wonderful souls who have suffered from cancer. I'm running what I think of as Helga's race, The Marine Marathon, to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Donate here if you can.

Please and thank you! Gesine Bullock Prado

http://confectionsofamasterbaker.blogspot.com/2010/07/running-in-circles-for-helga-recipe-to.html