Monday began wet and rainy on Hatteras Island, NC.  In the morning the volunSTARs worked tirelessly preparing for 6 couples from 4 different states to arrive that afternoon. No matter how many times you have volunteered, there is always a feeling of excitement almost like Christmas morning waiting for the families to arrive.  We are so grateful for the generous donations of property from Hatteras Realty and Dr. Andy Caputo’s home ‘Croatan Ridge’ in Buxton, NC. His caretaker, Mandy, and  Outer Beaches Realty have made our arrival a breeze!

After all the couples arrived safely we sat down to a homemade dinner prepared by our volunSTARs and Kate Weiss of Kate’s Pancakes House in Carolina Beach, NC. During dinner we got to know each other and learned different things from different couples.  One story that stood out to me was the story of ‘riding a camel’ told by a participant from Texas. She has a smile that makes you want to smile and a spirit that fills you with warmth.  She told a story of attending a fair in her community days before she was diagnosed with cancer. At the fair, someone was offering camel rides, she grinned and said she had always wanted to ride a camel.  Unfortunately the “people would think I am crazy” feeling took control of her and she did not ride the camel. Soon after that day she was diagnosed with cancer and she said one of the first thoughts she had was “I should have ridden the camel”! She now lives her life with as many “Riding the camel” moments she can! What a great lesson I was reminded of today.

This is a wonderful beginning to a fabulous week!