My original title for my next book was "Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life Volume 2."
During a meditation, I was inspired to change the title and include blog posts I have written since February before the world became locked in the grip of a pandemic.
My worlds as a writer, runner, poet and eternal optimist collide in my latest book which includes original poetry written after March 15th and reflections during an unprecedented time in our history.
I am excited to share with you the working draft of the Introduction:
Speaking at the Hyannis Marathon Pre-Race Pasta Dinner in February of 2020 and sharing my journey at the Expo was a highlight of my most unlikely running career. I reunited with friends I had met since I discovered the sport of running in February of 2008. Hugs and selfies were the order of the day. I made new friends at the Expo and after my talk at the Pre-Race Pasta Dinner where I shared the podium with Bill Rodgers. We were all looking forward to a reunion in April in Boston for the Boston Marathon and for a year of exhilarating events.
We were excited to be hosting the water stop for our beloved running club, L Street on March 8th. We ignored any of the quiet warnings about COVID-19 and hugged sweaty runners, poured water and Gatorade into cups for runners to drink and congratulated runners on getting through one of their last long runs before taper time for the Boston Marathon.
On March 12th, I walked into my pregnant chiropractor’s office.
The airwaves and social media news feeds were beginning to fill with fear and panic. I had a sense in my gut that something was terribly wrong with the messages and the methods that surrounded COVID-19.
“I don’t think they have any plan for this,” I told Dr. Lizzie.
“I’m not worried about getting the virus,” Dr. Lizzie said. “I’m worried about what’s going to happen to my business.”
Always the commensurate professional, Dr. Lizzie gave me an outstanding treatment of chiropractic care. We hugged at the end of the treatment.
“As long as things are open, I will be here,” she said.
The first email she sent outlined the precautions she would take while keeping her practice open. Two days later she said that she would have to follow the State and City guidelines and temporarily close her practice. As numbers of cases spiked, she made the decision to close her practice until January 2021 giving herself an extended maternity leave.
I witnessed my friends who are small business owners shutter their shops. Since we were not financially affected by the shut down, we supported them as much as we could. We ordered take out from our favorite restaurants, shopped on line and bought gift certificates to our favorite stores to use once restrictions were lifted.
In March of 2020, there was an epidemic of fear and a time of chaos related to the COVID-19 virus. It inspired me to open my heart and soul to the gift of poetry and writing I discovered shortly after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome.
Victor Frankl said that “The last of the human freedoms: to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. And there were always choices to make. Every day, every hour, offered the opportunity to make a decision, a decision which determined whether you would or would not submit to those powers which threatened to rob you of your very self, your inner freedom; which determined whether or not you become the plaything to circumstance, renouncing freedom and dignity...”
I returned to harnessing the power of my pen, my divining rod for healing and am delighted to share with you this new collection of poetry and reflections of life during an unprecedented time of a pandemic, economic upheaval, a call to eliminate racial injustice and, in the United States, an election of epic historical proportions.
I discovered the gift of poetry in my soul in February of 2007 shortly after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome in December of 2006. I was told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair and to expect an accelerated aging progress as a result of the polio virus I contracted when I was 5 years old in one of the last polio epidemics in the United States. Despite having had 5 vaccines, I still contracted the virus. But having had polio and then being diagnosed with Post-Polio Syndrome were two of the greatest gifts in my life for which I am deeply grateful. I discovered the gift of poetry in my soul AND was led to the sport of running.
I call my pen my divining rod for healing as poems poured forth from my soul inspiring me to let go of the pain of the past through gratitude, love and forgiveness and imagine a beautiful future for myself; one in which my body was running – yes running – free and seeing myself as healthy, happy, whole and healed!
Running helped me to transform from a survivor of paralytic polio and severe childhood trauma to a marathoner discovering strength, redemption, a most remarkable village of friends and most importantly, the truth of who I am.
While out on a morning run in March of 2020, I witnessed the stirring of new life with the beginning of Spring in New England. I felt a stirring in my soul. Despite the chaos and fear, I felt a sense of hope and possibility. A poem poked its way through me and I knew it was time to write another book. These poems and reflections are in chronological order of when they were written from March 15th through (date to be determined).
Although races and events were either postponed and eventually cancelled, or went to a virtual race format, running three times a week helped me to navigate the turbulent times. Those runs inspired poems and reflections. Those runs helped me to stay focused, grounded and optimistic always finding something to be grateful for and appreciate in the world around me.
As fear and anger filled the airwaves and social media streams, it was a time for deep breaths, connecting to the Divine, the Source of all, connecting to nature and to each other soul to soul, heart to heart without politics and divisiveness but with tenderness, love, kindness and compassion. Often times it takes a crisis to awaken us to healing, hope and possibilities. My hope is that this collection of poems and essays serve as a reminder that whatever the challenge, however dark and hopeless things may seem, there is always faith, hope and optimism to guide us through.
I feel wonderful when I am immersed in the creative process inspired by messages from Spirit. I am writing "Hope" in real time and will know when the arc of the story will be complete.
There have been several times throughout my life when life came to a screeching halt. I am filled with healing, hope and possibility that as individuals, as a community, as a country and a world we can move forward and heal.
To be inspired by my journey from having been told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair to the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and beyond be sure to visit my website at www.marymcmanus.com
My books are available on Amazon.
From my heart to yours
In health, hope and wellness
Mary
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