Between college and New York I was lucky enough to live in a tiny town in Italy just south of Rome for a bit. It was a magical experience…Italy became my home away from home and the day I had to leave I cried like a baby. I not only fell in the love with the country and its traditions, I was also head over heals for its people. My new Italian friends were warm, funny and full of life. I felt welcome and loved everywhere I went in Italy. On the day I left for America my new Italian sister Susanna and I cried like babies, hugged, and then we sobbed some more. When we finally caught our breath enough to speak she placed a tiny ladybug charm in my hand. She said, “I want you to have this. It has always brought me love and luck and now it will bring you love and luck in America.”
I held that little bug in my hand the entire flight home and from then on it was in my pocket, wallet, or bag every day. Every time it caught my eye the little ladybug reminded me of my friend and her kindness.
A while later in South Georgia I decided to pass that little bug onto someone who needed a lot of love and courage one night. I told her the same thing: “This little bug has always brought me love and luck and now it will bring you all the love and luck that you need.” Tears streamed down our faces as we hugged and I said goodbye to my lucky Italian ladybug.
Nearly fifteen years passed and on a warm August night that same special someone pulled me into a quiet room, tucked a tiny charm in my hand and said, “I want you to have this with you when you start chemo tomorrow. You gave me a ladybug when I was young and I have never forgotten that night. May this new pink ladybug bring you good luck and all the love you need to fight cancer.” When I opened my hand I found a little pink ladybug charm much like the red one I had given her. The next morning I held it tight while I sat patiently for five and a half hours through my first chemotherapy session. It was in my pocket at every chemo session for the next five months.
Ladybugs have always been a personal favorite of mine. If I’m not doodling a girl of some sort, I’m probably doodling a ladybug. I don’t know exactly when but I started calling the women in my life ladybirds, but at some point it became my favorite term of endearment. So after my dear friend Nina came to me a few months ago and asked if I would allow her to run a half marathon in my honor, (I think my exact response was something really sophisticated like, “Uh, yes!!! Seriously?! OMG!” ) she asked me to help her name the team. There was no better name to give Nina and her sister, Sasha, than The Ladybirds. Women spreading love, hope and joy by supporting each other, and hopefully getting that much closer to a cure for everyone…if that’s not the definition of a ladybird, then what is???
On March 15th, these two sisters are running in the United Airlines Half Marathon to raise funds for breast cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering, one of the leading cancer research hospitals in the country. My family and I are beyond honored and touched by their generosity and kindness. They are truly ladybirds in every way! My husband David has even been inspired to get in on the action, and he is running his first half marathon ever. I have been blown away by these lady--and gentle—birds who are running for me and completely overwhelmed by the outpouring of donations from friends and family. I can’t thank you all enough! Cancer has taught me more than I ever wanted to know about life, but the biggest lesson of all has been about love. There is more love and hope and kindness in this world than any of us know. It’s easy these days to think the worst of our fellow human beings but I am living proof that this world is full of ladybirds. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all the lady and gentlebirds out there changing the world one act of kindness at a time!
To learn more about The Ladybird’s Running Team click here.
To learn more about MSK and their state of the art cancer research click here.
Love, hope and ladybirds,
Ki
