A Brother's Words; A Sister's Thoughts by Cindy Campbell

"Without the darkness, you would never know the light" -Yogi Tea tab  I AM one of "those" people! I love quotes and bits of written inspiration. The right one always seems to appear at the time I need it most. This one seemed perfect for the moment. Each of us have or will face struggles in life. The challenges will be different, and facing physical and emotional pain can bring you to your knees. Nels has dreamt about and trained for this transcontinental run for four years. Prior to this he has undertaken other endurance events that some would perceive to be crazy. When you are doing hard things (for example, riding a bicycle across the U.S. twice and running from Florida to D.C.), having a why during the darkness can be your guide as you focus on your goal, which at times can be dampened by doubt, hampered by hallucinations and impeded by injuries. Attempting to break a record is no easy task; the percentage of people who have even tried is miniscule....

 Hey Cindy, I was just walking down the street here in Olongapo, Philippines and saw this little cyber-cafe, thought I would drop a line… could you do a favor for me? Please, with kitten paws pushing on your belly! I just came out of the field for a few days and a few nights ago, while lying in a hammock in the pouring rain, while checking the time; it was passing dreadfully slow… I had time to reflect on the past, that's what happens when counting the seconds waiting for life to "end". …I'm doing okay. You take care, and I'll chat with you soon!! Safe, Chris Chris was 25 years old when he emailed me the above request. He was asking me to reach out to someone that was special to him and convey birthday wishes. I kept many of my brothers cards, letters and emails to me with the intent to pass them back to him after his career in the Navy ended. Chris was sentimental, and I thought he might like to revisit his military journey through his messages to me...