It used to be that I would make Mother's Day all about ME.  Scott and our kids tend to spoil me on that special day and without any reservation, I would soak it all in. 

However, two years ago I tried something a little different on Mother’s Day.  My daughter and I got up at 4:30am and headed to Philadelphia to volunteer at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.  We served food to the nearly 50,000 runners and walkers at the Wawa tent (thanks to a very good friend who is a director with Wawa).

I was so impressed and amazed at the number of men, women, and children who make Mother's Day about someone else.  Every year, over 100,000 people attend this annual event in Philadelphia. 

So many participates wore shirts or carried signs saying who they were walking for or that they themselves are breast cancer survivors.  Then there were the funny t-shirts, "Save the Ta-tas," "Fight Like a Girl," "The Boobie Bunch," and my personal favorite, "Save 2nd Base."  There were grown men running in pink tutus, pink wigs and pink Speedos.  It was a remarkable yet emotional event. 

On that day in 2010, I met a beautiful little girl who couldn't have been much older than 7 or 8, who told me she finished the 5K in 27 minutes, 36 seconds, pretty impressive for such a young girl.  She was there with her dad.  She whispered to me with a shy smile, "I ran for my mom."  I didn't ask but I did almost cry.

At that moment, I promised myself to return and always try to make Mother’s Day about someone else besides me.

Last year, my daughter and I did return to volunteer.  We saw a couple new t-shirts such as "Coconuts for Cancer" (complete with coconut bras) and "IMPACT: Make One." 

We also saw two very cute teenage boys who simply took a black Sharpie and scribbled on their t-shirts, "4 MOM."  That one made me smile.  But then I saw another sign, "My Mom.  Last year, fighting for.  This year, in memory of."  That one almost brought me to tears.

So again this year, I will return to volunteer at the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure.  Unfortunately my daughter is abroad as an exchange student and won’t be with me.  But she will be with me in spirit, and Scott and my son will have a wonderful dinner waiting for me like they do every year.

This new tradition really makes for a perfect Mother's Day. 

RE/MAX is a proud supporter of this event.  In 2009, RE/MAX became a National Sponsor of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure series after six years as co-sponsor of the Breast Cancer Survivor Recognition Program at each Race for the Cure in North America.