KAREN LAND

I am a “dabbler” in endurance sports. But not until 3 months ago when my mother was diagnosed with

Uterine Carcinosarcoma, did I really begin to understand the true meaning of endurance.

When I was a little girl, Mom and I often watched all of the big marathons - Boston, New York City, Olympic - on television. From the starting line to the finish, we marveled at the runners, especially the women, who could cover such distances with amazing speed and focus and desire. Track and Field sprints didn’t interest us - it was the people who go FAR who captivated and excited us. “How can they do that?” we’d say to each other, inspired by such endurance.

One night, not long ago, at a hotel room in Lawrence, Kansas, I had a nightmare that my new, little house in Montana had been taken over by cats while I was away.

In the all-to-real dream, I returned home from my 3-month work trip to find felines in every corner, cabinet, and closet. The cats were all different colors and sizes, adults and kittens, domestic longhairs and shorthairs, Siamese and Abyssinian. There were cats crouched on the kitchen counters, lounging on my down bedspread, napping on the loveseat, davenport, rocker, and dining room table.