"Creating better memories" - Part 2

There are so many stories of survivors' resilience and creating better memories than those we all have from 4/15/13. While many wounds are reopened and raw with the penalty phase of the trial happening in Boston, those wounds will heal and all that will remain are these better memories as we continue to move forward in our lives; as our love, strength and resolve as a Boston Strong survivor family continue to grow.

Hafsa Lewis Labreche had some training in emergency medicine which she was able to use to help save the life of Brittany Loring on 4/15/13. Together they forged a friendship and a Foundation to help trauma survivors. Her thoughts after running the 2015 Boston Marathon:
I am so OVERWHELMED with love and support it is seeping through my pores. I never in a MILLION years thought I would (or could) run a Marathon... let alone, arguably, the greatest Marathon in the world. Before this journey I had never run more than 8 miles…what I have learned in these last few months is that you are capable of FAR more than you could possibly imagine. If you TELL yourself you can do something…you absolutely CAN. Face your fears head on or as my dear friend Ben Foley says “Embrace the Suck". When I took that left on Boylston St yesterday, I took back an image of the Finish Line that has been seared in my memory for the last two years, whats more, I ran for a cause that has become a big part of me in so many ways. Saying "thank you” doesn’t quite seem like enough, to all of those who supported me, listened, gave advice and pushed me until I felt like I couldn’t do it anymore…you have all unequivocally changed me as person. I am honored to be the first Boston Marathon Runner for the The Brittany Fund for Trauma and Recovery and I know I will certainly not be the last! Boston Marathon 2016?....who's with me?!


She was planning to run the full marathon but her doctors advised her it was too soon after her November amputation. Rebekah Gregory DiMartino was at Ground Zero on 4/15/13. In November she made the decision to amputate her leg after numerous surgeries and being confined to a wheelchair. Her reflections on running the last 3.2 miles of the Boston Marathon on Monday and crossing the finish line:
I am beyond humbled at the support I have gotten around the world by crossing the finish line at the Boston Marathon yesterday. I do not feel deserving of so much recognition though, especially when there were thousands of amazing people who worked so hard and ran the entire thing. I'm totally in awe of the sheer power that they exuded.

And while that is what I originally set out to do, I was only able to go in at the 23 mile mark per doctors orders earlier in the week. Because even with as hard as I've worked and as much as I have trained, my leg still is not healed enough to endure the beating of the full marathon since I only had my amputation in November. So I had to make the tough decision to compromise and only try to run 3.2 miles. And believe me..it was tough because I was totally bummed about it. So we came up with 3 miles because each one symbolizes a month of learning to walk on my prosthetic, Felicia (who came into my life January 7th.)

And yesterday EVERYTHING was working against me. The rain alone, caused other injuries I have to flare up, and my leg was so swollen and in excruciating pain as a result. About half way through I hit a small pothole with my running blade. It wasn't enough to make me fall, but it was enough to make my knee twist pretty hard and be escorted in a cop car up the road another 1/2 mile. I stopped for adjustments. (To add more socks as my leg shrunk for all my fellow amputees out there.) And overall, I honestly have just had way more successful runs. But that's life right?

And when I put everything into perspective, for me it wasn't about how many miles I could run. It was that I COULD run. 6 months ago, I couldn't even walk. And while I worked as hard as I could to prepare for the entire thing, the most important mile to me was Boylston Street. That moment when I got to run past the place where I nearly lost everything, and not stop until I made it across the finish line.

That is the single reason why I was so overcome with emotion when I fell down to my knees at the end. Because to me, by doing that, I was reclaiming my life. I was showing myself that I am not destroyed. And even though I am not up to 26.2 miles quite yet, what I am....is stronger. And there won't be a day that goes by that I don't try to show that because no matter what...I am also very BLESSED. And yesterday was only the beginning....of many many more miles.

Thanks to each of you for your overwhelming support, and for being a part of my journey.

"This is the day I take my life back." is the caption for this photo:


"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7


One would think that after all that was lost near the finish line on 4/15/13, that the Richard Family would stay as far away from the Boston Marathon as possible and yet there they were on Monday, creating better memories cheering on all 73 members of the Team MR8 Foundation. Sean Astin eloquently shares his observations:

Boston Marathon 2015. Finish Line.
Denise and Jane Richard are cheering and smiling as each of the 73 members of their Team MR8 come across.

I did what I said and tried to honor young Martin Richard (8yrs old) as I passed the site of the tragedy, by reflecting on everything that happened that day and since. After 4hrs and 49 minutes of cold and rainy 26.2 mile crowd fueled, leg demolishing awesomeness, I had prepared myself to end the run on a note of reverence.

Then there they were, Jane (9yrs old), standing, jumping up and down, with her prosthetic leg, courtesy of that awful day and Martin's mom, Denise with a huge smile of, can you believe it, gratitude of all things. A smile back and a kiss on the hand later, I turned and lost it.

News media and others around, so I bottled it, but something wonderful happens inside when the electricity of greatness visits you. This family, no fear, not a shred of perceptible anxiety, even if they privately had some. They were enjoying themselves. What a lesson. What an incredible demonstration, not just of resilience and faith and goodness, but of grace and wisdom. It's people like this that are the best hope for advancing our too often beleaguered civilization. This is what progress looks like.

My answer was to race back to the starting line in Hopkinton and alone, in the dark and comically stormy night, cycled my way back across the 26.2 mile Marathon route. Even though they had a 2.5 hour head start, I caught race director, Dave McGillivray and his intrepid amphibious running mates and their motor cade, 800 yards from the finish line.

Unreal.

That duathlon was the official kickoff to my Ironman Kona training. October 10th on the big Island of Hawaii, I'm gonna test myself again.

But for now, I'll simply saturate in yesterdays overwhelming and gratifying experience.

Our Team MR8 raised over $780,000. My friends, family, colleagues, supporters, fans and all of you here on Facebook, Sponsored my run and raised $22,000. There were, I believe 450 of you all, and I estimate that the average donation was between $25 and $50, with a few people putting in $1k or more that jacked the number up a little higher.

You all gave the Richard Family and the foundation they established in their late son's honor a financial boost. This money equals just a little more power to make some decisions to help a bunch of people. Good work everyone! I thank you with every fiber of my being.

As for all of you who made personal #run3rd dedications for your loved ones and causes close to you, I read them all and I carried them all in my heart as I ran. As predicted, Team MR8 and your trust bolstered my run so so much. So, thank you for those.

You can still donate to the Team so if you feel like it, here's the link:

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/SeanAstin/bostonmarathon2015

Much Love, Respect & Gratitude Always,

Yours,
Sean



Be blessed and journey well. Here's to all good things!

My latest book, "Journey Well" is now available on Amazon along with all of my inspirational books. 50% of book proceeds are donated to the Massachusetts Resiliency Center, a safe, welcoming space for survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing to heal and stay in touch with one another; a virtual hub for a widely dispersed community whose lives have been impacted by the tragic events of April 15th and the events that followed.

When terror struck the world's oldest and most beloved marathon on April 15, 2013, it was a defining moment in Mary McManus’ life and the lives of all those in Boston and around the world. It was her wake up call to return to the sport and community that have been medicine and a lifeline for her throughout her marathon of healing the late effects of paralytic polio and experiencing 9 years of domestic violence as a child and adolescent. Mary captures the essence of Boston Strong through her experience of the 2014 Boston Marathon and as she profiles the people who are Boston Stronger. Through her blog posts, poems and journal entries woven together with excerpts from her memoir, “Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility,” you will experience, through one woman’s journey of transformation and healing, that no matter what happens to us, we can all learn to journey well.

Gingerbread Houses and Gumdrops - On Love, Magical Moments and Healing

"I'm going to be in Quincy at Ginger Betty's on Dec. 1st. I know you're on the South Shore. You want to meet up there and then decide where to go?" I messaged my friend Maureen Lamie.

"How do you know Ginger Betty?" Maureen messaged me back. "We went to the same high school. I used to go in there all the time when I lived in Quincy."

"I'll tell you when we meet up," I told Maureen....

and so an afternoon of love, magical moments and healing happened.

The delicious smell greeted us as soon as we opened the door. We felt a sense of childlike wonder as we were surrounded by gingerbread houses, gumdrop samples, Christmas music playing in the background and a feeling of being home.



My breath often catches when I am in a moment that was brought about by synchronicity. You can read about how I met Ginger Betty in my October post, "Ginger Betty Brings Sweetness and a Message of Peace to Life."

Ginger Betty gave us each a cookie .. her famous Gingerbetty Gingersnap cookies ... true to her motto, "Share cookies...make friends."



Maureen and I did not have a plan for the afternoon. We knew only that we wanted to spend time together. Surrounded by the warmth of Ginger Betty's we knew we didn't need to go anywhere else. We pulled up a stool and the conversation flowed with ease, joy, love and laughter, passion and purpose. Running and healing in the wake of April 15, 2013 was a theme.

Ginger Betty was wearing her MR8 hat. She continues to allow the creative process to flow to find ways to raise money for the Martin Richard Foundation.

The subject of my book signing came up and Ginger Betty said that she would love to do something for the event and plans to come. She took out her order book, wrote down the date and asked me to send her a copy of the book cover so she could get her creative juices flowing. I was surrounded by love and excitement for "Journey Well." I told Maureen that she is in the book and how moved I was to meet her at the Book Release Party for my memoir in May. She said that she remembered when she walked through the door I said to her, "I knew it was you." We hadn't met in person before May.

We discovered connections and coincidences as we lived, laughed and loved in the moment taking in the magic and wonder of what was happening. Soon the shop filled with after school children and mothers, and shoppers getting ready for Christmas. Pure love, joy and delight is the energy that fills Ginger Betty's Bakery. By the way, if you know of anyone looking for part-time seasonal work please send them Betty's way! Maureen and I thought about it and what a happy place it would be to work. We could run off the calories after work on Wollaston Beach.

Life is sweet you know. It's not always easy but the Universe has this way of making everything perfect. Three women who are resilient and strong; who live with open and tender hearts were blessed to share an afternoon of love, magical moments and healing.


My Book Release Party for Journey Well is on January 10, 2015 from 5:30-7:30pm at Sollievo Massage and Bodywork. 50% of my book proceeds are being donated to AccesSportAmerica where their mission is to help people of all ages and abilities experience higher function and fitness for people living with challenges through high challenge sports and training.

Eighteen Months Later - We ARE Boston Stronger

Tom Grilk's voice filled the air at the start of the Tufts Health Plan for Women 10K saying we are Boston Strong and we do what we always do, we run together. Have a great race everybody.

Eighteen months today since lives were forever changed and we as individuals, as a city and as a global community of runners have had to dig deep and find our strength.

After 25 years, after being diagnosed with severe coronary artery disease, at the age of 60 years old, Dave McGillivrey became an Ironman at the Ironman World Championship triathlon last weekend at Kona. He wore a Boston Strong Team MR8 singlet. He ran for the Martin Richard Foundation After the shootings in Newtown Connecticut in December of 2013, Martin made a sign that said, "No more hurting people. Peace." The photo of him holding that sign became a symbol for how to manage in the wake of the events of April 15, 2013. His family created the Martin Richard Foundation to carry on the spirit of their son to honor Martin’s message of peace by investing in education, athletics and community.



Leo Fonesca is now the CEO of Stephanie's Restaurant Group. Photos of him carrying his close friend to safety wrapped in a blanket are but memories in the background of our lives. He is now a 2014 Boston Marathon finisher. He had never run before taking on the challenge of the 2014 Boston Marathon but he was determined to make it to the finish line for those who couldn't this year. He will be running the New York City Marathon in just a few weeks as part of Team MR8 and has already exceeded his fund raising goal of $5,000.

The call is going out for charity runners to send in their applications for the 2015 Boston Marathon. What a different journey runners will have on the road to next year's marathon no longer counting down the days to or from Boston Marathon 2013. That knot in the stomach we had when we woke up on the 15th day of every month for that first year is gone.

I chose to wear my L Street Running Club t-shirt for the Tufts 10K. On the back it says "We run as one" and has the signature yellow and blue Boston Strong ribbon.



The ladies running Tufts sported Boston Strong attire:



As I passed police officers and State Troopers along the course, I thanked them for their presence and was moved to say Boston Strong as I ran. On some level I sensed the upcoming 18 month anniversary of when our lives changed forever.

Yes - our lives changed forever and we are Boston Stronger. We have learned how to journey well!


The first 7 years of my healing odyssey are chronicled in Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility available on Amazon. I donate 50% of royalty payments to The One Fund Boston to help survivors and their families who were affected by the tragic events of 4/15/13.



I'm working on my 2nd book, "Journey Well," due out later this year: