Despair, Hope and Transformation

Today is Ash Wednesday, the day on which Christians begin the liturgical season of Lent. Lent is a time of preparation. The word "Lent" itself comes from the Old English word "lencten" meaning "Spring", however the root "lent-" in Latin also suggests the double meaning of a slowing down. Christians traditionally give something up or take something on for Lent as a sacrifice and a means of preparation for Easter. The point of such preparation is nothing short of personal transformation.

So it seems very appropriate to me that this Team in Training project coincides with the season of Lent. I am preparing for the challenge of hiking to the summit of Half Dome. But even if I don't make the cut, this is still about the transformation of lives.

There is my own quest to transform my body and get back into shape. Such a quest inevitably involves self-discipline and perseverance. Don't eat too much. Stick to your workout and conditioning plan and not just when you feel like it, but every day. I have to say "No" a lot more often than I have in the past. But "No" has its rewards and can be just as liberating as "Yes." When the going gets tough, the tough get going. The tough don't sit in an easy chair waiting for someone else to do the work.

This quest also involves patience. You have to take it one day at a time. When I think about Half Dome right now, I sometimes wonder what kind of insanity motivated me to do this at all. But I realize in the next moment that the entire point of preparation is to be ready for something that will happen in the future. Rome wasn't built - or destroyed - in a day. Every workout, every conditioning hike, is a building block and something that will prepare me for what comes next.

There is also trust. If I do everything our mentor trainers suggest, there is the hope that I'll be ready to take on and succeed in this challenge. I'm very frankly grateful for their knowledge and insights. I would have no idea where to begin. Related to this is humility. I have to set aside all of my I-don't-want-tos. I have to realize that "I don't want to" can have a high price tag.

I have to give up the despair that I'll ever be thin. Despair is cheap and easy. It's the polar opposite of the virtue of hope. Nothing changes by despair. Transformation is hard work. Sometimes my muscles are sore. Sometimes I'm hungry when I don't want to be. But with every step, with every stair, with every mile, there is the possibility of losing one more pound, gaining a bit more muscle and getting to the point that I acquire new, healthier habits.

I thought this before/after morphed photo was fun. (How did they do that!?) I was never that heavy and I'll most assuredly never be J. Lo. Even so, twenty less pounds would put me in a very beautiful dress! (I did get my buddy hike in today - over 5,000 steps around the neighborhood!)

Most importantly, this is not just about me. It's about the transformation of the lives of others who are living, suffering and who, in some cases, have died of leukemia, lymphoma or other blood cancers. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services. LLS is about finding cures, saving lives and supporting patients living with these diseases. That's a mighty tall order, but in the 60 years that this organization has been in existence, it has funded over $600 million in research targeting blood cancers. That research has paid dividends:

The five-year relative survival rate has nearly quadrupled in the past 48 years for patients with leukemia. In 1960-63, when compared to a person without leukemia, a patient had a 14 percent chance of living five years. By 1975-1977, the five year relative survival rate had jumped to 35 percent, and in 1996-2004 the overall relative survival rate was slightly above 50 percent (51.2 percent).

Leukemia Facts & Statistics, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Depending on the type of leukemia, the survival rate can be as high as 76.2%. That's a number transformed - and hope for patients and their families!