The 6th Annual Middlemiss Big Heart 5K - Part I - Epic!

The 6th Annual Middlemiss Big Heart 5K posted this on Facebook early Saturday morning:


The beginnings of an absolutely beautiful day. In a few short hours this field will be full of over 1000 smiling, happy faces, and we can’t wait ! It’s going to be an absolutely beautiful race day ! Today is not only about a race but it is about a community coming together to support each other and there is nothing better then that ..❤️



From Race Director Dave McGillivray:
For so many reason, this morning’s Middlemiss Big Heart 5K, Celebrity Mile and Kid’s Fun Run were epic. All the folks dressed in Superhero costumes. The smile on the kid’s faces doing the fun runs. The generous celebrities returning to do the Celebrity Mile. About 20 inspiring Team Hoyt duo’s participating. The record field for the 5K. Add to that the surprise and public notification to Rick and Dick Hoyt that they will be inducted into the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame in Tempe, AZ in January and the FaceTime live from Kevin Lacoste and what more could you ask for. The only bummer for me was after training all year to seek revenge and beat little Jack Middlemiss (my fellow heart warrior) in the Celebrity Mile and once again he nipped me at the finish line!! There’s always next year!

Scott had this to say about Jack's performance at the Celebrity Mile:

Kate Daigle Middlemiss only wanted Jack to run the first 50 yards of the Celebrity Mile. But, our beautiful, brave, and feisty heart warrior, who received his new heart on 2/16/18, had other ideas. Jack just kept going, and ran the whole quarter of a mile lap, edging out running legend, Dave McGillivray, at the finish line for the second year in a row! A special moment for our family. #becauseofadonor






An epic moment at the Celebrity Mile when Becca Pizzi, the women's winner, shared the moment with Chaz Davis:




From Ali LaCoste:
Yesterday was an all around beautiful day filled with emotion, support, care, and love. My Facebook feed was bombarded with pictures of hundreds of people supporting an amazing foundation. Though our families have experienced, though different, major tragedies, we were there- smiling, laughing, crying, missing our honored loved ones and being lifted by the hundreds of people who came to make sure we never felt alone. Reflecting- we had friends from all parts of our lives.... work, college, community- I only wish I had more time to talk to everyone for a longer time.

The Middlemiss family has helped us so much through this journey. Kate Daigle Middlemiss knows exactly what to say to me when I’m feeling hopeless or lost in despair. Scott Middlemiss has provided us with a plethora of support from cards, to items that make Kevin more comfortable, to an invaluable friendship that I know is built on much more than our sad stories.

Last night, after arriving at Spaulding, I shared, with Kevin, all of the posts, videos, and pictures from the race yesterday. He vowed to be there next year- and to race, in some capacity, in the future. I’m going to hold him to that promise.

Kevin LaCoste and Scott Middlemiss became fast friends 3 years ago when they teamed up as Principal and Vice Principal at the Col. Robinson School in Westford. This past July, Kevin suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury. Kevin ran two Boston Maporathons for The Joseph Middlemiss Big Heart Foundation.

On the eve of race day, Ali posted this on Facebook:
Tonight Kevin and I sat in his room at Spaulding and thought about the Middlemiss Big Heart 5k that we’ve been running for the past 3 years. When Kevin met Scott, and learned about Joseph’s beautiful, too short life, he immediately knew that this was a special team to join. He purchased a singlet before we left that first race- and hasn’t run a race since without representing team Big Heart. It’s become part of who he is. And the mission of the Joseph Middlemiss Big Heart Foundation has come out full force since Kevin’s accident. We can’t even fathom the number of people that his accident has affected- nor the number of people who have played a part in showing kindness to our family. Joseph would be so proud of his “team” as should his parents Scott Middlemiss and Kate Daigle Middlemiss. It’s truly the work of an angel. Our family will always keep this special boy and his mission close to our hearts.

Tomorrow, Natalie, Colin, and I will represent the “LaCoste Strong” team. We never thought we’d be in this position, but nonetheless, we are. We’ll wear our shirts proudly to honor Kevin and his fight. We’ll channel energy and love from Joseph and run ( or in my case- shuffle) those three miles for Kevin.

The 6th Annual Middlemiss Big Heart 5K was epic as an event and for individuals attending the event. It was a day to celebrate superheroes and the life of one very special superhero, Joseph Scott Middlemiss who left this world too soon at the age of 6 years old. We celebrated the strength of families triumphing over tragedy through community and the sport of running.

On a deeply personal level, it was an epic event for Team McManus. We ran our first race together since January of 2018. Our daughter Ruth Anne endured 14 hospitalizations rife with medication trials and error (mostly error) and no diagnosis until August of this year when the Divine guided me to identify that infections and an autoimmune response to infections causing inflammation in the brain were responsible for her neuropsychiatric condition.

On our way to Dracut from Brookline, I checked Facebook and saw this post from my dear friend David Brown:
shhh The bat car is in the shop but on my way to Dracut


When we arrived at the 5K, David seemed to appear out of nowhere. He introduced us to Chaz Davis, a visually impaired elite runner who was also running in the Celebrity Mile. Chaz went off and David and I took a few minutes to get caught up. He was so loving, kind and supportive of our journey.

As we headed to registration, we had a Bermuda-like reunion with Brad and Linda Gilbreth. When we met Brad and Linda at the starting line of the 2018 Bermuda Half Marathon, we knew we wanted to get more involved with Team Big Heart. We know in our hearts that Joseph brought us together. It was an emotional reunion as time almost stood still from that moment in January to September 28, 2019.

We made our way to registration for bib and t-shirt pick up and then headed to Team Zoe's table in the parking lot. Zoe had open heart surgery as an infant. She is doing well and we celebrate her as a heart warrior at the event.



There were magical connections and meet ups at ever turn.

We met Jane Rogers on line when Tom was running the Falmouth Road Race for The Joseph Middlemiss Big Heart Foundation. She saw my post about Kindness Rocks for Joey and how we were raffling them off for donations.. She thought they were awesome and made a donation. Even though she didn't win the raffle I gifted her one since Will, creator of Kindness Rocks sent me extras. After receiving the Kindness Rocks and learning more about the Foundation, she signed up to be part of Team Zoe. Tom and Jane met in person for the first time at the event!



As Dan Clark sang the National Anthem, we spotted Bea D'Angelo across the track.


During these past 3 years, Bea, a fellow member of L Street Running Club has followed Ruth Anne's journey praying for relief and that she find a healing path. It was an emotional reunion.

To be continued....

To your health and wellness
From my heart to yours
Mary

Be sure to visit my website at www.marymcmanus.com

Hear my interview with Kendra Petrone on Magic 106.7's Exceptional Women Show by following this link

My books are available on Amazon and "Feel the Heal" and "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953" are available in Natick Center Cultural District at Paula Romero Dunbar's Celebration Boutique Paper Fiesta coincidentally located on Mile 10 of the Boston Marathon Route.

Countdown to the 6th Annual Middlemiss Big Heart 5K - Part II

Yesterday was Joseph Scott Middlemiss' sixth angelversary as I wrote about in Countdown to the 6th Annual Middlemiss Big Heart 5K Part I.

Joseph is the forever 6 year old son of Kate and Scott Middlemiss. From Kate and Scott's eulogy:
Has the road always been easy and pain free? Certainly not. There have been mountains to climb and many tears to shed. You have overcome things that grown adults cannot even fathom. And, after the pain, after the tears, you would always look to us and speak the same words, “That wasn’t so bad, was it??” You would move on and smile and find a way to embrace joyful life even in the halls of a hospital or the confines of a doctor’s office. It didn’t matter where you were because your infectious smile and boisterous laugh turned every setting into your own personal playground.

Joseph Scott, you have been fighting from the moment you were born. Well, even before that moment. You see, when you were still in mommy’s belly, the doctors didn’t think you were viable. They thought you were filled with too many abnormalities to be allowed to enter our world. We were so so scared but we trusted in God’s plan for you. We now believe that this faith, this trust, this grace is part of what helped to ignite your fiery, life filled spirit.

The doctors were right in one sense. You were born with many medical imperfections, but the real irony of it all is that you came into this world with one very big, enlarged heart. Perhaps this is what shortened your lifespan here on earth but it certainly symbolized the immeasurable love, faith, joy, and grace you shed on so many. Our boy with the BIG HEART was sent with an enormous mission to complete. You did this flawlessly.

As I looked out my window yesterday morning as we were getting to go on our early morning run, this magnificent sky greeted me:


I have kept an Early Morning Light Album of photos I have taken during the early morning hours. I have never seen a sky with those colors perfectly painted on the canvas of the Divine. I felt Joseph's presence and the call to action to be conscious of being kind honoring Joseph's remarkable legacy of loving and living life to the full, kindness and joy. While I try to be kind every day, on his birthday and angelversary the Team Big Heart community shares the acts of kindness they perform in Joseph's memory.



Team McManus decided that we would greet everyone we encountered on our 5K run with Good Morning, a smile and wishing them a wonderful day. Many people and runners had their head phones on and were in the zone unaware of our presence but many more would come out of themselves and greet us often saying thank you. We made it a challenge to see if we could elicit a response when someone looked like they were down or were zoned into their ear pieces. It was a joyful experience for giver and receiver to spread joy first thing in the morning. {For more on the benefits of kindness on giver and receiver please check out the work of Dr. David Hamilton.)

We were treated to splendor in nature during our run:


It looked as though there was a dove in the clouds and we saw lots of angel wings.

We took a selfie proudly wearing our Team Big Heart and LaCoste Strong shirts. Kevin is a dear friend who we met through Kate and Scott. He is recovering from a traumatic spinal cord injury he suffered in July.



As we approached the school on our street at the end of our run, we continued spreading love and good cheer. You could feel the positive energy ripple through the Heath School Community.

I had to run a few errands after our run. My first stop was Star Market. The usual outgoing and friendly woman who usually works at Customer Service was bagging groceries. When I greeted her and noticed she was not her usual self, I asked her if everything was okay. She told me what was bothering her and thanked me so much for caring. She said that she was going to make time for herself during the day and enjoy the weather.

Next up was Walgreens. A lovely woman greeted me and asked me if I needed any help. I asked her where the dental care section was. She walked me over to the section and with a big smile extended her hand and said "Here you go." I thanked her and said, "Has anyone told you today how wonderful you are?" "No," she said. "Thank you. I'm going to carry that with me through the rest of the day."

Random acts of kindness need not cost any money although surprising someone with a gift card, paying for someone's parking meter, buying flowers are always warmly appreciated. There were ripples of love and kindness sent throughout our community as we remembered and honored Joseph.

Dr. David Hamilton wrote this great article about The 3-Degree Ripple Rule of Kindness.

Since 2014, The Joseph Middlemiss Big Heart Foundation has hosted a Superhero 5K as a fund raiser but also as a fun raiser to celebrate and commemorate Joseph and to honor heart warriors in the community. This year, for the first year, they are having a race beneficiary that ties in with the Foundation's first goal:
"To expand The Joseph Middlemiss 'All You Need is Love' Mission, fostering the spread and documentation of Random Acts of Kindness on local, national, and international fronts."

This year's beneficiary is The LaCoste Family.

As we countdown to the 6th Annual Middlemiss Big Heart 5K, I'd like to invite you to to register for the race in person, or for a virtual 5K by following this link.



There will be a Celebrity Mile where you can cheer on your favorite local celebrities and see a rematch between Jack Middlemiss, superhero heart transplant recipient and Dave McGillivray, superhero, author and heart warrior after bypass surgery a year ago.




There will be 2 days of bib pickup prior to the race at ML Shaw's 14 Loon Hill Road Dracut:
Thursday, September 26, 2019 – 3:00p-7:00p
Friday, September 27, 2019 – 3:00p-7:00p

Saturday 9/28:
Registration and Bib Pick Up: 7:00am
Kids Run: 9:30 am
Celebrity Mile: 10:00 am
5K: 10:30 am
After party

All abilities are welcome and everyone is celebrated as this community of kindness and love gathers to commemorate and celebrate Joseph Scott Middlemiss, resilience, the sport of running and reminding us all that when it comes right down to it, all we need is love and a good run to get through whatever life may hand us.

From my heart to yours
In health and wellness,
Mary


Be sure to visit my website at www.marymcmanus.com

Hear my interview with Kendra Petrone on Magic 106.7's Exceptional Women Show by following this link

My books are available on Amazon and "Feel the Heal" and "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953" are available in Natick Center Cultural District at Paula Romero Dunbar's Celebration Boutique Paper Fiesta coincidentally located on Mile 10 of the Boston Marathon Route.

Countdown to the 6th Annual Middlemiss Big Heart 5K Part I

On Saturday's training run, Team McManus prepared for next Saturday's 6th Annual Middlemiss Big Heart 5K.



while holding angel Joseph Scott Middlemiss and superheroes Kevin and Ali LaCoste close in our hearts. I could easily walk next Saturday's event at an easy pace but as I thought about Joseph and how he greeted life with the tenacity of a superhero whatever the challenge, and Kevin pushing himself to his limits as he recovers from a traumatic spinal cord injury, I knew I couldn't settle.



It was an unseasonably warm September day in Boston. Tom, Ruth Anne and I warmed up together and Tom took off to do his 11 miler getting ready to represent Team Big Heart at the BAA Half Marathon in a few weeks.

Ruth Anne let me set the pace while we were also mindful of hydration and taking a pause to take in the spectacular views and flowers we saw along the way.



Although we never met Joseph during his time in his physical body, his parents, Kate and Scott share stories and created The Joseph Middlemiss Big Heart Foundation to keep his remarkable legacy alive.

From Scott and Kate's eulogy:
As we put your earthly body to rest, we promise to be ambassadors of your message: To carry on your joyful song and passion for each of life’s precious moments. As you went to bed each night, you smiled and exclaimed, “This was the best day of my life!” We promise to continue your mission, to spread your love, and to help others embrace the simple joys that each day brings. We will strive to make EVERY day the best day of our lives. We love you our beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful boy. Now and forever.

One of the ways they anticipated today and Joseph's sixth angelversary was to share what people said about him. This is from Wayne Morris, Joe's PT at Tyngsboro Elementary School. from Preschool to Grade 1. Joe loved Wayne. Joe and Wayne had a very special relationship, and will always be remembered as a an amazing and special person in Joseph's life.

Kate, Scott, Jack and Extended Family,
I have been amazed but not at all surprised by the number of messages from people who are touched by Joey’s life, even though they had never met him. Having had the distinct honor of being Joey’s physical therapist since he entered TES, and having two “playdates” a week since that time, I wanted to focus on my memories of this wonderful little person. Initially, as with all new relationships starting in childhood, both of us were a bit apprehensive how things would go. After all I was a much bigger “kid” than Joey and I had some trepidation about playing too rough with him. I was pleasantly surprised by how much spunk this little guy exhibited. At first, he was cautious about attempting challenging games, but I could see he was a determined little bugger. He learned to walk the blue bridge without “falling in the water” and eventually moved on to the narrower orange bridge. Around that same time, he also learned a jumping spin move which he would use to dismount the bridge. He would turn and give a huge smile as if to say, “Yes, I am Spiderman.” And speaking of Spiderman, Joey loved when he came to the room and was greeted with a Spiderman punching bag. Although instructed to only use a left, right arm punching motion (for coordination purposes, of course), Spiderman was quickly being body slammed and kicked in the ankles. I still have the bag sitting in my garage in need of tape and with beans placed in the base to allow it to stand upright again. Joey progressed in his ability to ride a tricycle, initially using footplates to hold his feet on the pedals, to riding a bike with training wheels. There was one constant throughout these cycling sessions: Joey would ask me to take him to visit his daddy’s office to say hi and get a hug. How cool was that! He also became quite a balloon tennis player during this period, naturally with the obligatory spin moves to accentuate the overhand smash.

Another constant during those early years was when we finished our "playdates”, either Mom, Mem or Nana was there to pick up Joey. I saw from the start Joe had the ultimate support of a loving, caring extended family and told of multiple hours spent with his many cousins, aunts and uncles or of weekends at Ogunquit playing in the “pine grove” (which sounded like an interesting spot). It was obvious how cool this dude was when a big party was thrown for him and he came decked out in a Jason Miraz chapeau and belted out one of his tunes in front of a sizable audience. Watching Joey play the ukulele, guitar and drums on the stage built specifically for him by a group of caring volunteers further cemented the fact that this kid was unique and universally loved by an extended fan base of caring people.

As educators, there are certain students who turn the table on you, when you become the student and they the teacher. You know instantly they are really “old souls” with much wisdom and knowledge to dispense. Joey was such a person. He taught all those he touched and definitely earned the accolades and the attributes being written for him. Thanks, Joe, for being a gifted teacher. I have learned your lessons well.

P.S. For those who know me, sitting at the computer and typing has never been my strong suit. These words came easily, however, as they were written with language of the heart."

One of the ways that the Foundation raises money and brings together a community of like-hearted individuals is through the sport of running. Dave McGillivray introduced Scott to the healing power of running when he gave him a bib for the Boston Marathon shortly after Joseph earned his angel wings. Kate, Scott and Andrea Walsh created Team Big Heart.

Our daughter Ruth Anne endured 14 hospitalizations since January of 2018 for a neuropsychiatric condition and chronic infections. She had stopped running because she felt ill and medications wreaked havoc with her entire system.

After doing a lot of research and being a fierce advocate for Ruth Anne, we were able to nail down diagnoses and plot a treatment course to help her maximize her functioning and minimize the distress that the symptoms took on her mind, body and soul. I drew a lot of strength from superhero women Kate and Ali.

Ruth Anne returned to experiencing The Power of Running by training for Saturday's race.

Being a part of Team Big Heart has given her a new lease on life, a sense of purpose and belonging to a community of unconditional love and kindness.

As we poured sweat and ran with our hearts, we talked about the Middlemiss Family, Kevin and Ali and all the people we have met through this circle of love, light, strength, courage and perseverance no matter the odds; superheroes one and all!

From Kate:
From the moment you shared Ruth Anne was joining the race I was as moved. It just really touched me to see the picture of her in the big heart shirt with you and Tom. Means so much. Our foundation is certainly about love and “heart” but a big piece is also about the redemptive power is the human spirit. This race (and so much of what we do) honors the people around us who face huge adversities yet keep getting up and standing tall and fighting. It’s NOT easy. Your story, Ruth Anne’s, and your whole family exemplify this! I feel so blessed to have all of you as friends and teammates. It’s certainly a lot more than running.

We checked our splits and pace and discovered we were doing 16 and 17 minute miles which for most runners may not seem fast but as Tom always says, "For someone who is supposed to be in a wheelchair, you run pretty fast." Ruth Anne is just getting back to running and while she can do a 12 minute mile for a mile or 2, it was impressive that she could stay with me while we challenged ourselves. It's not about the ultimate time but about pushing ourselves and unleashing the superheroes within us.



When Tom wrapped up his 11 miles, we took our selfie:


We are ready to have our best race ever on Saturday.

We are ready to run with heart unleashing the superhero within raising money for race beneficiaries Kevin and Ali and their family as they navigate their way through the journey of healing and recovery after a spinal cord injury.

We come together as a community to celebrate and commemorate Joseph Scott Middlemiss who has blessed this world in life and after his physical life ended on earth.

Please join us in person or by registering for a virtual run by following this link.

In tomorrow's blog, we will continue the countdown to Saturday's race....

Please be sure to practice random acts of kindness and spread love and compassion wherever you go.

There is a How You Can Help section in my blog about #lacostestrong which you can find by following this link.

All you need is love!



From my heart to yours
Mary


Be sure to visit my website at www.marymcmanus.com

Hear my interview with Kendra Petrone on Magic 106.7's Exceptional Women Show by following this link

My books are available on Amazon and "Feel the Heal" and "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953" are available in Natick Center Cultural District at Paula Romero Dunbar's Celebration Boutique Paper Fiesta coincidentally located on Mile 10 of the Boston Marathon Route.

The Power of Running

Shortly after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome now over 12 years ago, I wrote a poem called "Running the Race." It foreshadowed my 2009 Boston Marathon run. That poem turned on a spigot of healing in my soul and opened the portal to a world in which I imagined myself running unencumbered and free and in which I was healthy and whole breaking the shackles from my past. My running shoes became my erasers and every foot strike, as John "The Penguin" Bingham also said, carried me forward.



Our daughter Ruth Anne joined us on this running journey for the 2009 Boston Marathon and the 2018 Bermuda Half Marathon but in January of 2018 she had a very serious relapse of her psychiatric condition. We have been blessed and are so grateful to have many of the pieces of the puzzle solved as to what has been going on with her and found a great combination of meds that as we say, just for today, are holding her in good stead. She is fighting with all that she has in her to recover this time and while she couldn't seem to get any momentum to go out and run, last Saturday we asked her if she wanted to join us and run/walk the 6th Annual Joseph Middlemiss Big Heart 5K.

She sprang up out of bed and said would she ever.

She knew about the Joseph Middlemiss Big Heart Foundation and when she is not in the throes of a psychiatric condition episode, she is a kind and loving soul. Their mission resonates deep within her.

After the 5K on Saturday, she was absolutely exhausted (as she is recovering from a urinary tract infection as well as we lost count of how many hospitalizations since January of 2018) but what a joy to see her enjoying being outdoors and moving!


She slept for a lot of the day on Saturday but rather than it being a sleep of deep depression and anxiety, it was a restorative sleep.

This morning when the alarm went off at 6:00am, she was refreshed after a good night's sleep from a day of a lot of activity including a 1.5 mile run at a 12 minute/mile pace with her father.

She loves the early morning hours and the beauty of a sunrise and the Chestnut Hill Reservoir did not disappoint this morning.



While Tom ran at his pace, training for the BAA Half, Ruth Anne and I did our 5K together. It was a magical time together and one that I thought I would never know again given the course that Ruth Anne's condition had taken.

She insisted that in addition to the selfie we took at the Reservoir, that we take a selfie of just the two of us while Tom finished his run as we paused at the top of a hill:


Ruth Anne's energy is slowly coming back. Her desire to live has returned. Every day she struggles to heal her brain that had been affected by chronic infections she had as a child (a condition known as PANS) as well as heal from traumatic events and cope with chronic pain from a bladder condition called chronic interstitial cystitis. She has hope that she can heal, and get through the challenging moments that occur throughout the day. She has a sense of purpose and being a part of Team Big Heart ignites passion and compassion within her.

A big part of my healing journey that is now a part of Ruth Anne's healing journey is the power of running; a sport that brings together community and like hearted people with unconditional love and acceptance. A sport that takes us out into nature and brings us close to the Divine. The power of running helps to erase the past and each foot strike carries us forward.

Experience the power of running with us on September 28th at the 6th Annual Middlemiss Big Heart 5K.

You can register to run at the race or to do a virtual 5K by following this link.

There's a Celebrity Mile:


and an after race party sure to delight children of all ages.

The race beneficiaries are Ali and Kevin LaCoste, two very special superheroes. Kevin is recovering from a traumatic spinal cord injury that happened in July. We have an Army of supporters known as #lacostestrong that are supporting their recovery. Kevin is a beloved Principal, husband, father, brother and friend. He is a beloved member of Team Big Heart. Ali is a 5th grade teacher in Haverhill and has embraced the role of caregiver, advocate, wife, spokesperson while being a mom to their two children with incredible grace and grit.

The power of running will bring together the community of Team Big Heart and #lacostestrong to raise funds and create powerful ripples of healing, Love and kindness.

Team McManus is blessed and grateful to be a part of this incredible sport!

To your health and wellness
With love from my heart to yours
Mary

Be sure to visit my website at www.marymcmanus.com

Hear my interview with Kendra Petrone on Magic 106.7's Exceptional Women Show by following this link

My books are available on Amazon and "Feel the Heal" and "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953" are available in Natick Center Cultural District at Paula Romero Dunbar's Celebration Boutique Paper Fiesta coincidentally located on Mile 10 of the Boston Marathon Route.

My Morning Run and The Elements of Healing

The time when I don't feel like getting out of bed to go on a morning run or get in my workout is the very time I know I need it the most. Advocating for Ruth Anne and helping her to navigate an unwieldy and at times incompetent medical and behavioral health system is exhausting. We have dear friends whose daughter is recovering from PANS and another friend who is recovering from a traumatic spinal cord injury after a fall this past July. Sometimes, these conditions seem overwhelming and it becomes difficult to experience light and love, healing, hope and possibilities when one is immersed in the daily grind of symptoms and therapies.

BUT the Universe is vast with potential and possibilities greater than what our minds can comprehend. Twelve years ago, despite writing a poem about "Running the Race" I couldn't know with certainty that one day I would train for and cross the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon. I'd been diagnosed with Post-Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease and told to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair, possibly needing a feeding tube, a sleep apnea machine and that I was destined for a rapid decline in functioning at the age of 53 years old.

When I was at a crossroads in my life, I got still and asked for Divine Guidance. When we go out on our morning runs, Tom and I get still tuning into the power of the elements: earth, air, water and fire (the sun) created by the Divine. Some mornings, we allow the still water to invite our minds to be calm and gain clarity on the experience we are going through with Ruth Anne. I use the hashtag #everystepisagift #everymileisablessing because I remember the days when I did not have the strength to walk upon the earth. I allow the earth to ground me and draw from its healing power to surround all those in need of healing.

One of the symptoms of PPS was difficulty taking a deep breath. I breathe in the morning air with gratitude and express gratitude to the Universe for all that I am able to do now.

The water brings such a delicious sense of calm whether it is in the stillness or the rhythm of the lapping of the waves. The wildlife that inhabits the Reservoir brings a sense of delight and play to our runs.

Whether the sun is shining or not shining, we know it is there. As the days get shorter with the change of seasons, we notice the change in how the light presents itself in the early morning hours and feast on nature's awesome ways.

We tap into the elements of healing and send out their healing power to our dear daughter, our friends close to our hearts and to anyone in the Universe in need of healing.

I am so blessed and grateful for our morning runs and to live in such close proximity to a sanctuary that offers all of the elements of healing.



Please be sure to register for the 6th Annual Middlemiss Big Heart 5K happening on 9/28. You can run a virtual race or have an incredibly family fun day for a great cause. Race beneficiaries are Ali and Kevin LaCoste.

To your health and wellness
From my heart to yours
Mary

Be sure to visit my website at www.marymcmanus.com

Hear my interview with Kendra Petrone on Magic 106.7's Exceptional Women Show by following this link

My books are available on Amazon and "Feel the Heal" and "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953" are available in Natick Center Cultural District at Paula Romero Dunbar's Celebration Boutique Paper Fiesta coincidentally located on Mile 10 of the Boston Marathon Route.