Life can throw some very difficult curveballs at you. But they all help shape you into your future self. Yesterday, life threw another one—I hope we caught the ball this time.
Yesterday was the memorial service for the great, inspiring Patrick McKerley. He died too young and too fast because of f**king cancer.
Moments like this hit hard. They make you stop and think about how fragile life really is. I have to say, I’m much better about taking my dogs to their annual check-ups and doing monthly checks for lumps and bumps. When they get hurt, of course, we follow up with the vet or head to the emergency vet. But do we do the same for ourselves? Not really.
Early detection is our best protection against cancer, so get screened. Schedule your annual visits. Go to the dentist. Get your eyes checked. Take care of yourself and spend time with your loved ones.
Many of us take the life we have for granted, not on purpose, but life just gets in the way of things that really matter. We really don’t have that much time on this earth in this life, so it’s time to live. Live in the moment. Live for today. And protect tomorrow.
That’s a big part of why this means so much to me and Kudo the Dog.
I saw an event online: Crafting for Cancer, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. I can’t think of a fundraiser that better fits Kudo the Dog’s mission. So every day this month, we will be crafting and sharing our journey to raise awareness and funds.
All living beings deserve a future without cancer.
It’s been a long winter with very little time at the crafting table, and this feels like exactly what we need. This May will be 2 years since we lost Kudo to cancer, and our third year since starting Kudo the Dog. There’s a lot of emotion tied into this, and a lot of purpose.
Throughout April, we will be donating 20% of our sales to this fundraiser. So if you’ve been thinking about getting your dog a new collar or picking up a gift for a friend, now is the time. Not only will you get an amazing handcrafted item, but you’re also supporting something so much bigger than us.
The loved ones we have lost to cancer are so much more than this terrible disease. They are the reason we keep going, keep creating, and keep showing up.
I’ll be updating this blog with photos and details throughout the month as we craft each day. Please leave a comment to share your stories, your hope, your heroes, your survivors, and the loved ones we have lost.
Ways to support our fundraising efforts:
Support our Stitch and Fundraise in April for the American Cancer Society. Want to donate but don’t have a Facebook account? Email me at kudo@kudothedog.com to arrange another form of payment
Race Team Scholarship Fund in Memory of Patrick McKerley
Shop Kudo the dog and we will dontate 20% from each sale directly to the American Cancer Society
I’ll be updating this post with photos and details throughout the month as we craft each day. Please leave a comment to share your stories, your hope, your heroes, your survivors, and the loved ones we have lost.