Are you ready? Have you seen the pink flamingos around town? Have you bought lunches from banks, schools, nursing homes? Have you bought chances on a raffle? Have you bought T-shirts or other items? Have you shared your story with someone? Are you ready to wear purple Friday night?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you know that it’s almost time for the Miss-Lou Relay for Life! Young and old, male and female, rich or poor eagerly await this event. Kids have the chance to pick up the elusive plastic fish from the plastic “pond,” jump as high as Superman in the inflatable toys, light up the sky with their glow sticks and dance to the beat of the music, all with wide-eyed excitement at the various decorations and the size of the crowd. Parents have the chance to stroll on the track, buy chances on raffles, smell the appetizing aromas and taste the various morsels for sale, all the while affording their children a family-oriented adventure.

However, “adventure” is a word used very sparingly by a cancer patient. It is a journey for which they would have preferred not to pack. One minute things are going smoothly, the days are filled with laughter and joy, and the only cares seem to be what to cook for supper. The next minute, the waves start to increase in height, the laughter and joy are replaced with tears and uncertainty, and the cares now seem to be, “How will I survive this?” and, “What will happen to my family?”

In today’s economy, people have had to re-budget for groceries, perhaps switching to hot dogs twice a week instead of once; for schooling, maybe opting to sit out a semester; for transportation, getting a vehicle that gets better gas mileage. However, the cancer patient does not have the luxury of re-budgeting their health or their lives. They must deal with the cards they have been dealt. There is no second-guessing.

Decisions must be made hard and fast. There are family, friends and medical professionals ready to offer their advice and help. And … there is the American Cancer Society. Each year, thousands of events are held across the globe, just like the one we are having this weekend, teaching awareness, teaching lifestyles, teaching how to cope and raising money for research.

Join us this Friday on the Natchez bluff at the gazebo as a united effort in the fight against cancer. Survivor registration begins at 4:30 p.m., and the opening ceremonies start at 6 p.m. You won’t be disappointed, and you won’t leave with an empty stomach, just maybe an empty wallet.

Come cheer on the survivors who have had to change their lifestyles and those who work so hard to give them support.

When you look at budgeting your time this week, allow time to attend the Miss Lou Relay for Life.

It is a budget change you and others can live with.

Sherry Kiser is the co-chairman of the Relay for Life of the Miss-Lou.