Celebrating Ten Years of Running: Momentum

Shortly after crossing the finish line of the 2018 Bermuda Half Marathon, I coined the phrase "Just for the health of it." I focused on cross training on the bike building up speed and endurance and went for a leisurely 5K outdoors when the weather was good enough to get outdoors.

As the weather improved, I couldn't spend another day in the gym on the bike and Tom and I did twice a week 5K's. We returned to the joy of getting up early on a Monday morning, doing core work and heading out the door to experience the glorious return of Spring to New England.

On Saturday the forecast called for rain. We were going to postpone our run until Sunday and run Sunday and Tuesday but running in the rain is so good for the mind, body and soul. We packed our ponchos in our runner backpack and went around the Chestnut Hill Reservoir incorporating a couple of hills along the way. The run began and end with rain showers.


Wee did what runners do, we don't wait for the weather to be perfect before going out on a run.



I've been receiving a lot of emails and Facebook invitations for upcoming races. My body is itching to get out there to be a part of the racing scene again but I know that I need more recovery time to prevent a full blown injury and allow the irritation and inflammation that happened during my Bermuda training to heal.

This morning I felt a shift from "just for the health of it" to I need to have a chat with my body about healing and getting 5K race ready again. This is the first time in 3 years that I am not training for a Half Marathon and I am thrilled to be on this endurance hiatus. During these past 11 years as I healed the effects from childhood paralytic polio and trauma that came in the guise of the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease, I have harnessed the power of the mind/body connection to gain momentum on my healing odyssey.

During this morning's run around the Route 9 Reservoir, I felt a fire light up again within me as I thought about all the upcoming races that are happening this Spring and Summer. I will be a spectator for now as I ride that edge of listening to my body yet also working with my body to once again achieve my personal best. It's always a delicate balance! Being able to unplug and go out on a run with Tom is a gift and a miracle that I always deeply appreciate for I know how close I came to losing the gift of mobility 11 years ago.

The apple blossoms, purple wildflowers and baby geese against the backdrop of newly bloomed green leaves on the trees were a feast to delight the senses and tickle the soul.

I was running from the inside out being aware of just how far to push myself. It was the first time I'd hit a sub 18 minute/mile pace since last December. I was overdressed - a common occurrence at this time of year and was grateful to have gotten on a really good sweat! I reminded myself (as I have been reminding myself during my 3 times daily meditations) that I am worthy of healing, that my body recovers with ease from any challenge I present and I run swift, at ease and unencumbered.



I feel a turning point again in my running adventures as I celebrate 10 years of running. I'm getting the itch to get back into racing form and feel momentum as I begin the next decade of my running adventures.


To your health and wellness
From my heart to yours,
Mary

Proud to be a part of Friends of Blue Diamond Athletic Displays, Inc.

Be sure to visit my website by following this link.

My books are available on Amazon.

Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life


Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing Hope and Possibility that chronicles the first 7 years of my healing journey:


And my latest and greatest book - Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance (With a Foreword by Jacqueline Hansen):

Going the Distance: It's kind of fun to do the impossible!

Lewis Carroll: There is no use trying, said Alice, one can't believe impossible things. I dare say you haven't had much practice, said the Queen. When I was your age. I always did it for half an hour a day. Why sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

Bernie Siegel: Damn right we all have an amazing potential



As those tweaks and aches and pains that come with training for an endurance event - 13.1 miles on January 14th, 2018, just 86 days away as Bermuda Marathon Weekend's website reminds me, it's easy to question whether or not my body can do the distance for the third time in 3 years.

When those doubts and fears creep in, and it's always a good idea to doubt the doubts, I remind myself of all that I have done to heal myself in these past 11 years and all that I continue to do to maintain the momentum of healing.

Shortly after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, I had an abnormal mammogram. For one solid week I meditated and visualized healthy breast tissue and knew in every fiber of my being that it was gone. I would not even let the fears about breast cancer enter my mind despite the fact that my grandmother, my mother, and two of my aunts all had the disease. When I went back for the repeat mammogram, it was gone!

Through writing poetry I imagined myself as healthy, whole and free .... running a race of all things even though I'd never run a day in my life, and had just been told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair! As Dr. Joe Dispenza teaches us, it is not just about positive thinking or imagining the future, it's about feeling as if the future is already here. At the time I did not know about his work. I was praying and asking for Divine Guidance after being diagnosed with a progressive neuromuscular disease and told I had to quit my award winning career as a VA social worker. The answers came in the form of poetry in the cadence of Dr. Seuss. After contracting paralytic polio, I had to endure painful physical therapy sessions several times a week. My physical therapist, "Miss Holly curly hair and a warm smile," as I described her in my poem, "Running the Race," read Dr. Seuss to me before every painful physical therapy session and had me recite the books back to her in tandem. How amazing that what helped me to coax muscles and nerves back to life when I was a little girl was now an instrument of healing for me at the age of 53.

I came out of a leg brace, and ditched the wheelchair and went on to run the 2009 Boston Marathon!


I harnessed the power of my mind to heal cervical spine disease after asking my doc to please show me what needed to heal before my last injection to ease the pain of a disc pressing on a nerve. I went on to dissolve the bone spurs and stop the progression of degenerative disc disease.

In the wake of stress of my nephew's suicide in March of 2011, I lost my way and went "off the rails" of my healing path.

After the Boston Marathon bombings, I had a wake up call to get back on my healing path and returned to running and my health and wellness journey but I wasn't in the flow of creating healing....yet....

I was blessed with a wake up call of a very serious knee injury in December of 2014. All that I set forth in motion in my poetry for healing the effects of paralytic polio and trauma led me to a most remarkable healer...Ryan J. Means, Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine ... my Hero Healer. We read Dr. Joe Dispenza's book, 'You Are the Placebo' together and shared the teachings as we worked together to get me back to going the distance in my healing journey and in my life.

We stimulated the growth for a new gastroc muscle that on MRI was atrophied, destined to never return according to Western Medicine. Once my desire and intention for healing was reignited through meeting Dr. Ryan, I went on to dissolve bone spurs, halt degenerative joint disease, grow new cartilage and reverse the processes that resulted in that knee injury. I am not planning on a total knee replacement as was the doctor's prediction after seeing the MRI.

I had a wound on my nose that wouldn't heal yet I knew in my heart that I could heal it. It looked "suspicious" and fit all of the criteria for a malignant growth. It took several years but one day it was gone leaving only a scar on my nose.

Whenever I have fears or doubts about my body's ability to heal; when those twinges and tingles and aches and pains surface, I experience them all as part of my body's preparation to go the distance again and I also interpret them as ongoing healing from the effects of paralytic polio and trauma. My body is still whisking away the toxins and the toxic memories from those traumatic events and is building a new superhighway of neuromuscular connections.

I love playing in the quantum field and enjoying this journey of transformation. The miracle is that our bodies have been designed by Divine Intelligence to heal when something happens if we get out of the way and allow the healing to happen. I had reconstructive leg surgery over 20 years ago and then had the hardware removed. On Xray I could clearly see the holes in the bone from where the hardware had been screwed in. After the hardware removal, I wore a stabilizer and was on crutches while my body did its thing to fill in the holes. Six weeks later when I returned for my post op visit - the holes were healed!

I want others to know what is possible and that we do have the ability within us to go the distance - whatever the challenge and whatever we want to create in our lives partnering with the Source of all that is.

To going the distance with strength and courage
From my heart to yours,
Mary

Be sure to listen to my interview with Keith Cartwright, "From Polio Survivor to Boston Marathon Finisher" by following this link.

Be sure to visit my website by following this link.

My books are available on Amazon.

Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life


Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing Hope and Possibility that chronicles the first 7 years of my healing journey:


And my latest and greatest book - Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance (With a Foreword by Jacqueline Hansen):

Thankful Thursday: A Tale of My Healer

As I'm writing my next book, "Going the Distance: Healing Trauma through the Power of Positive Touch (And Running) I have this wonderful opportunity to reflect on my healing journey these past almost 10 years. What was the difference? What was the game changer for me once I met Dr. Ryan Means?

One of the most striking things about Dr. Ryan is his passion for movement and his dedication to helping people experience comfort, ease and joy in their bodies. Ryan was teaching Boot Camp in addition to his having his private chiropractic practice and was working one on one doing personal training. I loved the stories he shared with me about his clients achieving improved functioning and saw the twinkle in his brilliant blue eyes as he shared his excitement about the outcomes of his work both as a trainer and a chiropractic physician.

He transferred to me a sense of confidence, strength and joy in my body and Being and gave me exercises that would help me to heal the effects of paralytic polio and violence. He let me know in no uncertain terms that I deserved to heal, that I can and would heal and that I should set goals not limits.

Dr. Ryan is the first healer I encountered in the past 10 years who truly loved being in his body and embodied and embraced what it means to experience health, wholeness and wellness, and to help people attain the quality of life they want and deserve.

He introduced me to the movie "What the bleep do we know..." and the work of Dr. Joe Dispenza!

Dr. Ryan treats the body boldly, with confidence, and incredible skill, yet as a humble servant of the Divine allowing and facilitating the body to return to its natural state of well being.

My healing and transformation continue and I am unleashing my body's natural capacity to heal from the effects of paralytic polio and trauma with deepest gratitude to Dr. Ryan and all he has taught me!

To your health and wellness!
Mary

Countdown to Bermuda: Feeling Accomplished

As I went to bed last night feeling sore and tired, I had an incredible feeling of accomplishment.



I thanked my sore and aching muscles and my entire body for doing me proud and going the distance of ten miles.

With each run I feel more and more confidence.

This morning I did my core workout and strength training.

I used to be afraid of pushing my body too far.



I know in every fiber of my being I can and am going the distance of 13.1 miles.

It's getting close and I am counting down to Bermuda.

I am feeling accomplished and satisfied and so very happy that I am able to, at last, reclaim my life.

Remember to Remember & Live As If Your Prayers Are Already Answered

During this morning's meditation, the phrase "Remember to remember" came to me. Remember who we are at our very essence and to remember to tap into that connection when things look like the wheels may be falling off the wagon.

There is going to be a replay of Project Coherence next Sunday and I'm looking forward to tapping into the Divine and the feelings of expansiveness that I was able to access during the meditation feeling the beauty, wonder and awe of being connected to 4000 souls across the globe. Whenever I meditate and whenever I meditate with Tom or a community I remember something far greater than myself yet that is the Force that is right inside of myself and each of us that we can all tap into when we step aside and allow the magic to happen.

During my meditation I remembered an incredible moment with Dr. Ryan Means or Dr. Ryan as he likes to be called. He was helping me recover from my knee injury earlier this year and was using the Graston Technique on my feet. I made a strong nonverbal comment and he asked me if he was using too much pressure.

"No," I said emphatically. "I just remembered how it felt to train for and run a marathon."

Ryan smiled and his eyes sparkled.

His hands reignited the spark within me to set goals not limits.

I remembered!

And here I am steadily moving forward to the Bermuda Marathon Weekend in January.

By all appearances I should have hung up my running shoes or capped my distance at a 5K. After working with Ryan and now Ryan sending me positive energy from across the miles in China, meditating with gratitude and runner affirmations, the love and support of my village along with me reminding myself to remember to remember, I will soon be in double digits in miles.

It's easy to get swept up in the fear and the nay sayers of the medical community. It's easy to forget the power that we have inside of us.

But when we remember to remember, all things are possible despite outward appearances.

Through my poetry, through my unconscious speaking through the power of my pen - my divining rod of healing - I was creating health, wholeness, running unencumbered and free and reclaiming my life. I did not know the who,how, when, what or where it was going to happen but I lived as if my prayers were already answered - and now they are!

I was searching on YouTube for the song It's Possible from Cinderella and instead this clip from a talk by Dr. Joe Dispenza popped up:



Remember to remember! The Universe is always speaking to us especially when we live as if our prayers are already answered.

Feel the Heal: Claiming the Change

During this morning's meditation I experienced peace and stillness. My body was quiet. My breath deep and full. This thought came to me:
Everything is healed and rewired. Flip the switch and watch me go...

It's so easy to focus on what is in the current physical reality but I felt a profound shift happen in my thoughts and experience this morning. Notice what you want and where you are going as I, to quote Dr. Joe Dispenza, "cross the river of change."

It's a little scary, a whole lot exhilarating and I felt tears run down my cheeks. Tears of gratitude, relief, release. Yes I am a child of God and just as a loving biological father loves his little girl, that's the Love that the Father has for me.

I felt it from the time I was 5 years old and lay paralyzed on the couch from paralytic polio with a drug addicted mother smoking a cigarette and glaring at me waiting for my biological father or grandfather to come home from work to attend to my basic needs.

I can feel all those wounds healed now and my body is rewiring itself.

I felt pulsing in my throat as wounds of oral rape and strangulation healed. I felt the tingling of new nerves growing along my spinal cord and throughout my cervical spine.

When once I felt blockages of energy from being pinned down during rape and grabbed and restrained during beatings, energy flowed down my arms.

I felt several poems spring from my soul and realized that I've begun to write Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life Volume II. As I expand and heal and grow and transform, my poetry sings praises to the Divine within and around me and reflects and reinforces the healing process.

As I go about my day I notice and praise stillness imprinting this new Body and new way of Being rewiring with love.

As I put on mascara today, I kept repeating peace and stillness embracing and embodying me transformed. I gave loving and gentle support to my right hand and arm to steady it. Even though I am right handed, I lost use of my right arm for 6 months and had open shoulder joint surgery which cut muscles and nerves but it is just as easy to heal the effects of surgery as it is to heal anything. It's all about what I choose to believe.



While there may be particles of anxiety that go through me, I focus on the waves of the life Force and the waters become still again. Each time the episode doesn't last as long and I am able to harness the power of my mind to heal and rewire default responses to external circumstances. I remind myself that my body does not have a mind of its own; I am my body's mind and I am the captain of my fate. What a delicious voyage I am on now.



I realized that I was cheated out of childhood. I didn't have the freedom to run and be free because of paralytic polio and a bat shit crazy family. I always had Divine Protection otherwise I would not be here writing this blog and living my life. I am now keenly aware of the blessings and grace in my life both then and especially now. What a sweet life I now have!

During my strength training workout, I work on Theraband stabilizers that my beloved chiropractor, Dr. Ryan recommended for me.


First it's seeing how long I can balance on each leg and then it's standing for 10 minutes with eyes closed to balance.

Today I felt a shift from tremulousness to feeling my strength and even practicing martial arts in my mind's eye to disarm and take down my father. I could feel those delicious waves of spinal fluid flow and a sense of freedom and power and strength surge through me.

I increased reps of upper body strength training.

How wonderful that Louise Hay's affirmation today was in sync with how I am feeling:



To add icing on the cake of a delicious start to the day, we met our friends Karen and Chris DiMare for brunch at 75 on Liberty. They were in town for last night's U2 concert.

During brunch we talked about healing and going down the rabbit hole of all possibilities. Karen talked about planting seeds and watching them grow as I shared that I have grown a new gastroc muscle. Chris had surgery to remove a cyst from his spine that resulted in pre-operative paralysis. To remove it, they had to cut vertebrae and put in a metal rod. The doctors say there is no way the rod could ever be removed. I have been visualizing total healing for him during my meditation and that they would somehow be able to remove the hardware.

"Can you grow new vertebrae?" Chris and Karen pondered ...

"Hell I grew a new gastroc muscle. Anything is possible."

And so they are going to get out the DVD's of What the bleep do we know...and Down the rabbit hole and watch it again while we all tend to the seeds and the garden of our lives for healing, evolving and transformation. What a blessing that we all affirm each other's journeys with such love!

Here we are apres brunch at the Seaport waterfront area:


It's stunning to see my transformation from when we met for brunch in March:


Everything is healed and rewired. Flip the switch and watch me go ... claiming the change ... Being the change ... evolving and transforming ... feeling the heal in every fiber of my Being and sharing possibility with the world!

Cheers! To life! Love yourselves well!

Dancing Warrior from the soon to be released "Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life". You can find all of my books on Amazon.

She’s fierce
the heart of a warrior ready to battle darkness
no longer needing to stand her ground holding firm
with lightness of Being she dances
a dance of light
nimble no longer numb

flexible and easy
swift of foot to dart arrows
from those who want to pierce her soul
deflate her wonder filled life
wondering
where is the music
what does she hear

she hears her soul sing
the rhythm of her heartbeat
unbridled joy

upturned lips with a knowing smile
the dancing warrior of love.

Building Strength and Confidence

I used to have difficulty getting up from sitting without using a table or the bathroom sink to support me. One day a couple of months ago, after practicing squats at the wall per Dr. Ryan of Elevate Health Cambridge, I decided that I could just stand up. I made up my mind to do it ... after realizing what was preventing me from doing it all these years. Yes in part there was physical weakness and deconditioning but what prevented me from completely healing after paralytic polio was bearing the brunt of my father's alcoholic rages. I remembered the phrases, "sit down before I knock you down" along with "who do you think you are? I'm going to knock you down to size." Once I brought these phrases into awareness, I was able to literally stand up to the fear I felt inside. The danger was long gone but in my mind, because I was so little when all of this happened, I was wired for weakness and not being able to find the strength to stand up for myself.

But all of that is changed now. I'd been wrestling with how do I feel strong and empowered without being afraid of my power that I would hurt the people who were hurting me. During yesterday morning's meditation, I thought about martial arts and a class we had in self defense at the VA called Unmuggable. I googled to see if they are still around. I know there are many classes in self defense for women but I couldn't find this particular one. A "mugger" was in a protective suit and they taught us how to defend ourselves in case we were attacked; to disarm the "mugger" hitting his vulnerable areas to give us enough time to get away. They also gave us safety tips such as never getting into a car even if held at knife point, staying in a lighted area and using keys and other objects we might have on hand to ward off the attacker.

I took the class with Mary Pat Regan who was the DAV Transportation Coordinator and we used to sign our emails after taking the class, The Unmuggable One. I can remember the sensations of being able to defend myself and how empowered and invincible we felt after taking the class.

Yesterday, after increasing my squats at the wall and feeling confidence and strength harnessing the power of my hip flexors and core to do a proper squat, I made up my mind that it was time to move away from the wall and just squat. Dr. Ryan said to me one day, you'll move an inch away from the wall and you will do a squat. And voila:



I can feel safe, strong and confident. I have faced every fear and looked death square in the eye at the hands of my alcoholic father and psychotic grandmother and with the neglect of my drug addicted mother.

And now - I get to do the impossible or what the Western medicine model said is impossible. I build strength, create new neuromuscular connections and neural pathways. I change the way I view myself and create a whole new physical reality for myself. I am healed, and I am whole. I am an endurance runner training for the 2016 Newport Marathon and I am happy - so incredibly happy and grateful to be alive connected to The Source that showers me with grace:

The Source

Wellspring of joy flows deep within soul
rising surprisingly healing brokenness whole.
Thawing and melting magnificence made new
cleansing congestion reveals radiance True.

Miracles arise from this sacred space
fears and pain transformed by Your Loving Grace.
Running and laughing happiness free
a raucous rampage a celebration spree.

Grounded sure footed it's time fancy fine
Divine Love a waterfall cascading spine.
Fools were blind to this treasure so rare
unstoppable unceasing heart open to share.

The joy in the journey a sight to behold
the glory her triumphs she runs brave and bold.
Each footstep each mile of 26.2
a champion reborn glorious Spirit shines through.


Be blessed! Journey well! 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.

Pure Imagination, Hope and Faith

Eight years ago, as I was preparing to leave the VA to heal my life, I did a 30 day journal on yellow legal paper (as though I were drafting a contract with myself) visualizing what life would be like for me in the future. I recycled it several years ago. I do smile when I think about some of the things I put down like being on Oprah and being a NY Times Bestselling Author (do not count out the latter one just yet) but one of the things that I included in my journal was going to work out every day at a health club. Seeing myself as healthy, vibrant, vital and whole, bringing an inspirational message to the world was the intention behind all that I imagined.

One of the ways I survived my chaotic and violent childhood and adolescence was to harness the power of my imagination. I held onto hope and faith that somehow somewhere there was a better life for me if I could just make it through.

When I ran 9 races in 9 months last year with two PR's, I harnessed the power of my imagination and the strength and will in my soul to make them happen.

My knee injury in December was a blessing and a wake up call for cross training and to make changes to allow more healing to happen. I was briefly drawn back into the medical model but quickly moved on to make sure that my intentions for total healing were aligned with what I was doing in my environment.

I'm training for another marathon!

First up is a 5K race on 7/3. I'm visualizing a great time (and yes I mean that literally and metaphorically) but I will run from the inside out seeing what I can accomplish on race day.

During my meditations, I imagine myself as though paralytic polio and violence never happened to me. What does that feel like? How does that look? I don't look in the mirror and say oh the tremors are still there; I see myself with my third eye without any tremors. I embrace experiencing my strong, steady hands and energy flowing from my back all the way down my arms without interruption. I smile. I feel the back of my cervical spine open as though I am opening a window and allowing fresh air to come in to allow spinal fluid and energy to flow. I am training myself to focus on the healing not on the wound.

I remind myself that I am already where I want to be and feel the joy of being without tremors, of having boundless energy, of feeling overflowing gratitude in my heart for these amazing outcomes that I see in my mind's eye that allows the physical transformation to follow.

And it works. Every time. With patience, practice, persistence, pacing, hope and faith.

If I would have imagined that going into the ocean yesterday would have been a bone chilling unpleasant experience, that's what would have happened but instead I knew that the cold icy salt water of the Atlantic Ocean would feel amazing after my 4 mile run. I now incorporate how I felt during and after going in the ocean into my meditation. I can feel how the swirling waters break up the scar tissue of 5 surgeries in my left leg and feel full range of motion return.

I recount the experiences where I have harnessed the power of my mind to heal. I had a wound on my nose that had not completely healed for several years. I finally decided to do something about it. I imagined it looking exactly the same as the other side of my nose. I hd total trust and faith that despite all appearances it was healed. Today there is only a small scar and it is indeed completely healed! I dissolved a tumor in my left breast and healed degenerative cervical spine disease including dissolving bone spurs and relieving a disc pressing on a nerve.

I have made up my mind that I deserve total healing. I feel love and compassion for myself knowing in every fiber of my being I never deserved what happened to me; that every child's birth right is to be in a safe, happy, warm and loving and laughing home learning how to manage struggles and challenges that come along. It is my birthright and I am now claiming that birthright to feel safe, happy, free, healthy, vibrant, vital and whole. It's wonderful to keep adding to my healing journal chronicling the miracles. Reading "You Are The Placebo" and having only those people who totally believe in me and the limitless possibilities for healing supports me in this process.

And the Universe echoes back a beautiful response to my song providing me with everything I need for total healing.



Be blessed! Journey well! 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.