Running for Marie

I was lucky to have a favourite Aunt.  A fun-loving, life-of-the-party kind of aunt.  She lived a long 12-hour car ride away but we made that trip every year and it was worth it.  Sometimes, she even made the drive from Utah up to Alberta, Canada to see us, and always brought laughter, music, and fun with her.  I was, and still am proud to carry her name.  She served a mission for the LDS Church to Denver, Colorado, and was the one who took me to the Mission Home the morning I reported for my mission years later.  She was briefly married in  her forties but never had children of her own.  However, she was much more than just an aunt to her many nieces and nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews.  Famly was everything to her and she loved nothing better than a family gathering, especially when music and singing were involved.  Aunt Marie was blessed with a beautiful singing voice.  She joined the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in 1954 and sang with them for 27 years!  We loved to watch General Conference Broadcasts and looked for her, always sitting in her same seat.  I still remember the summer evening she took me with her to a choir rehearsal and introduced me to the organist in the tabernacle.  She had a way of making everyone around her feel special by taking an interest in their lives. 

Marie also performed in many plays and musicals.  One memorable performance was as the "Pink Lady" at the Promised Valley Playhouse.  She wore an elaborate pink costume adorned with feathers, fur, and jewels and sang beautifully.  As the years passed, she retired from the choir and spent a number of years caring for my Grandmother before she passed away.  Whenever I spoke with her on the phone or visited, she always wanted to hear about my family and our latest news. 
This past December (2012), I received a call from my Mom with the news that Marie, who had been in a nursing home for the past few years, had taken a turn for the worse and was not expected to live much longer.  Marie was my mother's only sister.  My husband and I drove to Southern Alberta two days later, picked up my Mom and made the 12-hour drive to Utah to bid farewell.  We spent precious hours at her bedside that night, singing to her and remembering good times together.  She was unable to speak, sedated by the pain medication but did acknowledge our presence.  The next day, she slipped into unconsciousness and gently passed away.  She was 84 years old. 

I am a runner.  Running enriches my life in many ways.  It keeps me sane.  It keeps me healthy.  And training for a race gives purpose to my runs.  So, just a month after my Aunt's passing while looking for a half marathon to run, I discovered "The Pink Half Marathon".  Imagine my delight when I found that this race is a women's only race.  A race in Utah.  And a "Pink" race!  The perfect race to run in memory of my favourite Aunt.

So, in October, I will be making the long drive from Alberta to Utah once again.  I will run for Marie, a beautiful "Pink Lady".  And I will remember.