"Life is hard. That's why we run," Bill Rodgers has said to me on several occasions.
That is the truth! He went on to say that when the going gets tough on the roads and we know we can endure, then we can take that into our lives.
I am deeply grateful that I am an endurance runner for that has held me in great stead when it comes to the challenges in life. Being an endurance runner has taught me patience, strength, taking things mile by mile and being in the present moment, knowing that when I feel as though I cannot take another step, there is always enough in the tank to keep me going and, if I need to pause, I can always catch a second wind.
I have been joined on a marathon of healing from the effects of paralytic polio and trauma by our daughter Ruth Anne who is in the marathon of her life healing from severe depression. Three years ago she crossed the starting line of a journey to reclaim her mental health and sense of well being. Severe depression precipitated by trauma reared its head. Her life came to a screeching halt much as mine had 11 years ago after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome.
Last week, Ruth Anne experienced an acute episode of depression necessitating a brief inpatient psychiatric hospitalization.
The thing about running and life is you never know when something may catch you unaware. The thing about running and life is we are blessed with resilience able to overcome and move forward feeling stronger than we ever have before. It's incredible to experience that second wind after you feel as though there's no way you can go any further in the race.
It seemed as though things were falling apart again but with intensive inpatient therapy, an outpouring of love and support from our village and an increase in medication plus Ruth Anne's fiery warrior Spirit, she is putting the pieces of her life back together in a more meaningful and profound way than before things fell apart.
When my life fell apart 11 years ago after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, I had no idea that I'd be living the healthy, vibrant, abundant life that I am blessed to live today.
It's been a lot of trial and error, twists and turns in the roads for each of us but life is a marathon, not a sprint and I am blessed to have a warrior daughter, who, like myself, goes the distance!
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 us at Booth 758 during Boston Marathon Weekend.
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):
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