To Strive, To Seek, To Find, and Not to Yield

Marchers,
Thinking and good intention times are over. We will hit the trail in about about 35 hours. You are either with us, or not. I will miss those of you who wanted to go but could not, due to deaths in the family, sickness and injury. Those who found out last minute about the hike or had a job or family obligation, I understand that also.

For those of you not joining us for other reasons, you will be missed. But the harder thing to bear, will be that play in your mind, when you hear someone else talking about going on the hike, and how hard it was, what happened that scared them, or what happened that made them laugh, and how you would have reacted had it been you. There is something about shared discomfort, and the laughs that follow it after it is over. While we will miss your presence, you will miss this time of solidarity, and growth.

We will all drink form the same cup as Addison somewhere in our lives; the bitter dregs of why me, why do I deserve this, why does everything happen to me. This does not reflect the way Addison has dealt with this disease that has invaded his body, and is in mortal combat with the chemo. One or the other will win, but both will take a toll on Addison's health . He deals with it, not in despair, or defeat, but in the present and the now; God love him, for he is not defeated.

This March will be a reflection of Addison's fight. " We few, we happy few, we Band of Brothers", will step off at 0800 on Saturday morning, June 12th, with only a select few. We have more then enough food, we have more then enough water, we have more then enough people on Saturday and Sunday in support of the March. The doctors and nurses represent the support staff , the food and the water represent the medicine, and we few will represent Addison- with determination and guts- and will set our faces toward the goal, without resentment, or without accepting defeat; just as Addison has to do everyday he wakes up, with his body the battle field and his mind the setting the path towards victory. We are Marshall, if only for four days.

Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are---
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield. Alfred, Lord Tennyson "Ulysses"

On this march, let us not yield to the temptation of comfort, let us strive to find the strength that makes us pure in thoughts and deeds. So, as Tennyson stated in "Ulysses", and Addison demonstrates in real life, "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield", until we have finished this March for Addison, and brought everyone home safely to their Mom and Dads.

If you would care to bless this enterprise, we will accept your blessing. If you are not given to prayer, we will take your kind thoughts. If you cannot give us those, get the heck out of the way, we are Marching through. Vaya Con Dios, Mi Amigos.