So, it is Tourde France time. This may or may not mean anything to you, but in this house Tour Time is a big deal.

The Tour deFrance is the granddaddy of cycling races, made famous in recent years by the athletic feats of Lance Armstrong.  You will notice in any photo of me that I am wearing a bright yellow LIVESTRONG wristband. I took the band I currently wear off of Phil’s wrist as I sat beside his beautiful body in the emergency room trying to grasp the fact that he was dead. He wore this particular yellow plastic circle for at least a year before his death, and I have been wearing it in his honor for the past four.

Anyone who came to Phil’s funeral left with a Livestrong band, because Phil loved the message this yellow campaign represents…never give up. His mother was diagnosed with Leukemia about seven years ago, and Phil felt an even deeper connection to the Livestrong Foundation knowing they were providing support, encouragement, and resources for people fighting cancer. All this, plus the fact that Lance Armstrong kicks butt on steep hill climbs made Phil a lifelong supporter of the Livestrong movement.

So as I watch the cyclists battling up the intense French hillsides, I remind myself that I have hills to climb too. When the uphill battle of grief makes me want to throw in the towel, my little yellow band reminds me to never give up. Phil didn’t, and I won’t…at least not today!

The photo above is of me and Paul Sherwen at the Tour of California. He is a longtime cycling commentator and former English cycling pro, and to say I was starstruck is a serious understatement!