Pink papers of hope

The many names on pink papers pinned to the backs of the walkers at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure outside Princeton Sunday helped drive home the reality of cancer. Decades ago, it was hush-hush ... the dreaded C-word. No more. Events such as this one show that it's not just somebody else's problem and the world must know that. The more than 15,000 people of all ages who ran or walked were there to raise funds for breast cancer research and to stress the importance of early detection -- of this cancer and, one would hope, all cancers.

Those pink papers came with two headings: "In memory of ...'' and "In celebration of...'' When you saw a young woman walking "In memory of my mom," the impact of loss and, hopefully, renewal could not have been clearer. Fortunately, as many people or more were celebrating life. Reading tributes to "My sis,'' or simply "Me,'' brought a chuckle and a tear to the eye at nearly the same time.

There's something comforting about being reminded that you're not alone. Those celebrating successful recovery and remembering those they lost share a special bond that cannot be broken.