Each year, the high school students of Canton and Plymouth in Southeast Michigan put on the SJ5K race to benefit a small group of families in need in their area. This year one of the beneficiaries of the fundraiser was one of my patients, Dale Palmer.
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I met Dale over two years ago right before COVID. He and his wife are educators, and they asked very thoughtful questions at every visit, including the first. It has been a privilege to know him.
When the Palmers told me recently that their community was putting on the race to benefit them, I did not hesitate to sign up. For me, running has always been about more than putting one foot in front of the other. Rather, running is about clearing one's head, pushing one's self to the limit, and finding inner peace. Sometimes, one also has a chance to give back just by running a race.
The morning of the race was cool, rainy, and overcast. However, that did not deter several thousand people from cramming into the stands of the football stadium to hear from the families who were chosen as beneficiaries prior to the race.
I am biased, but Dale's wife Norma gave the best speech describing the man Dale is and what all he had been through. I am certain that all of the students - and all of the adults for that matter - came away from those speeches with a better sense of how fragile life is and how lucky they are to be healthy and alive. I know I do.
At last, we took off running. I was in the front pack, surrounded mostly by high school students who zoomed by. Over time though, I caught many people who had been ahead of me. I finished in near record time for me, and I like to think that Dale was pushing me forward every step of the way.
This was not my fastest 5K race, but it was the most moving race I have ever participated in. I have been honored to know Dale and Norma. They remind me what is important in life - community, family, and giving back. This will not be my last SJ5K.
