Welcome!

For those of you asking - what is a pisher? Where did the term come from? And what is its significance? Let me explain - 

Pisher is a Yiddish word that typically means​ a young, inexperienced, and presumptuous person. A way to use it in a sentence would be: "That little pisher has a big mouth on her." And throughout my life, it was one of the many pet names my father gave me. My father loved to use Yiddish words wherever he could, especially if they were swear words or could add any sort of pizzazz to a sentence. It seemed fitting, therefore, to use a name I so sorely missed being called by my Dad.

How Did We Get Here?

​In May of 2021, my father was diagnosed with Brain Cancer - Glioblastoma. One day I was asking my father Health Insurance questions (as a 26 year old being booted off the family's health insurance plan) then suddenly helping him with basic tasks, such as walking. It was an extremely jarring and traumatic time - for everyone in my family. During his fight, my father had memory difficulties. Being the avid TV watcher I am (especially medical dramas) I was determined to help him based on what I saw on TV. One of the ways that came to mind was music! My father loved 70s rock and I made him a Spotify Playlist with all of his favorite songs so that maybe it could help him. I played the songs for him and we even had one karaoke night (Werewolves of London - no less)! Cataloging all the music he loved also felt cathartic for me - these are the things I always wanted to remember.

In July of 2021, my father lost his battle to Brain Cancer. After his passing, I occasionally listened to the Spotify playlist I created to feel closer to him. One day at the end of April 2022, I was taking a leisurely walk in DC around the National Mall. I walked from my apartment to Constitution Gardens where I often liked to go to reflect. Upon my departure from Constitution Gardens, I felt compelled to put on my Dad's Spotify Playlist. As I passed by Freedom Plaza, I stopped dead in my tracks. The words "National Brain Tumor Society" hung from a large stage on the plaza. Reading those words was like an absolute gut punch. Just seeing the words brain tumor or brain cancer was still triggering for me. I also thought - "out of all the cancer societies that could be hosting an event in DC today - why Brain Cancer??!!" I learned from the event organizers that the 5k walk was the next day - and I made sure I was there walking for my Dad. 

Today

​After the strange coincidence in finding out about the National Brain Tumor Society and their annual walk in DC, I vowed that I would be significantly more organized when it came time for the next years walk. So, here we are. 

I hope that you join me and Team Pishers at the National Brain Tumor Society's Race for Hope DC 5k. Whether you walk, run, watch, or donate, I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart. The amount of love and support I have received from family, friends, and colleagues is not lost on me and I truly could not have made it to this point without you.

Yours Truly,

Josie G (the OG pisher)

P.S. For those looking to see some of my Dad's favorite songs, look no further! Here is a link to my Spotify Playlist I created for him: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7E7gwMJEGi6pFXwEynn8W4?si=37db0ea0f02f43e9