“Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.” – Albert Camus.
Last Sunday morning, April 22, our alarm clock went off early. The sound sent my sleepy kids into a panicky “Is it already Monday?” mode. But rather than sliding into the familiar breakfast/shower/where’s-my-backpack weekday dance, we all donned our sneakers and caps and headed over to Green Lake to join the Brain Injury Alliance of Washington’s annual Walk, Run & Roll for Thought 5K event. We were met by nearly 400 other supporters who all came together for the same purpose: to show support for brain injury survivors.
The cause was a great one, as was the company: my colleague’s 14-year old circled the lake’s loop before most of us even covered a quarter mile, and my 10-year old seized the opportunity of a captive audience to wow everyone by quoting lyrics from Hamilton. Together, our office enjoyed connecting with clients, caregivers, and friends on a gorgeous spring morning.
For me personally, the crowning moment was watching one particular TBI survivor take the last 5 steps of the walk out of his wheelchair, into the arms of his smiling wife. The thundering applause by the warm crowd was one of those moments that made me pause and appreciate the beauty of unconditional love and support of the TBI community, and reminded me why I love what I do in advocating for those survivors.
The BIAWA is always in need of support in donation or volunteers. The work they do to help survivors of brain injury is invaluable. For more info on how you can support the Brain Injury Alliance of Washington, visit their website here: www.biawa.org.
