Mothers Day 2020

The Arnold Arboretum requested that families not visit on Lilac Sunday which is a Mother's Day tradition for many. There were no brunch gatherings to celebrate Mother's Day. Visits to mothers to celebrate and express love were done either via technology or social distancing and meals were either lovingly cooked at home or mom's favorites were chosen for take out. While the pandemic has cancelled many cherished traditions for celebration, we as a community have gotten very creative at how to find ways to celebrate under very different circumstances for Mother's Day 2020.

We are extremely blessed that Tom's job at Boston College is secure. While there are cost cutting measures happening at BC, their impact is minimal and we are grateful to be able to do our part to support the University's financial stability at this time.

Tom and Ruth Anne plotted with our favorite womanpreneur, Paula Romero Dunbar who followed her dream to open Paper Fiesta, Natick Center's Independently Owned Celebration Boutique. They called and texted back and forth putting together an amazing package of Mothers Day gifts for me. Journals, a Mr. Rogers book, kitchen towels and a mug and tumbler with the themes of Bee Kind, Bee Happy and Bee Grateful, chocolate treats and so much love in the presentation. Paula wrote on the box DO NOT OPEN UNTIL 5/10th and just in case I didn't pay attention to that warning, she put a little note card on top of the presents that said, "DO NOT OPEN UNTIL 5/10th."



While Tom and Ruth Anne knew what some of the gifts were, they shared in the surprise of other gifts that Paula put in to meet the budget they gave her.

If you look closely, you will see a big brown shopping bag in the background of my picture where I am holding up one of the packages lovingly wrapped by Paula.

Tom and Ruth Anne whisked that bag from our porch shortly after it was delivered by Eureka Puzzles and Games. Our son Autumn McManus and his partner Michelle Todd saw my Facebook posts about Eureka and how we love to support small business. Autumn also knows about our passion for puzzles. They live in Petersburgh NY and are the proprietors of M and A Farm. With the "lockdown" and their busy schedules as farmers and Autumn working for an IT company, their Mother's Day shopping was made easy with on line shopping and local delivery.

It was a first that our son sent a package that arrived before an event. He texted his dad that he was very proud of himself for making that happen especially this Mother's Day.

He lovingly chose the puzzle with the cats and books because it reminded him of the bookstores we would visit on Martha's Vineyard. And why did he choose Van Gogh's Sunflowers Puzzle? Because of my nickname..Mary Sunshine.

Now that is enough to fill this mother's heart with gratitude but there's more to the story...Ruth Anne and I selected a MicroPuzzle from Eureka during our last on line retail therapy session. Can you guess which puzzle we chose?



Yup Van Gogh's Sunflowers. I love the synchronicity that my son and I share and have shared through the years.

He also treated me to a long phone conversation which was one of the best gifts of the day.

The last gifts bestowed upon me for Mothers Day were FlavaBars from FlavaNaturals.


What makes the photo with Ruth Anne so sweet is that this is our first Mother's Day together in four years that she has been well. For four years she was suffering with an undiagnosed condition called PANDAS that causes brain inflammation secondary to an untreated infection. The symptoms manifest as neuropsychiatric in nature and she endured 14 hospitalizations.

What a gift to be together as a family for Mother's Day and to experience health and well being!

After the opening of presents, we did a strength training workout together.

I am so blessed and grateful for the gift of running in my life and we are so blessed to have running routes near our house where we can social distance. But I do miss running by the ocean in South Boston. We decided to take a drive to at least breathe in the sea air.



After meditation, Tom grilled chicken with potatoes and made a large salad.

We ended the day working on the puzzle and having a wonderful conversation counting our blessings.

So while there were no brunches or walks on the beach and we had to have a mask at the ready as we walked around our neighborhood, Mothers Day 2020 was a day overflowing with gifts...the greatest gifts being Love and well being supporting local businesses and enjoying the sacred gift of time together.

From my heart to yours
In health and wellness
With love and peace
Mary

Be sure to visit my website to learn more about my inspirational journey from a wheelchair to the finish line of the Boston Marathon and beyond!

My books are available on Amazon.

Shining the Blogger Spotlight on Small Business - Part II

When I needed a place to host my book launch party for "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953," womanpreneur extraordinaire Paula Romero Dunbar, who had just followed her dream by opening Paper Fiesta, warmly opened her doors and her heart to host the celebration. She lovingly decorated her store inside and out with yellow and blue balloons and ordered cupcakes, cookies and water for the guests to enjoy.



We have shopped at her store during the past two years to turn ordinary celebrations into a fiesta. When she had to temporarily close her doors, she moved to face time shopping and shipping orders to her customers.

Paula is the daughter of immigrants who followed her bliss taking a leap of faith to create Paper Fiesta. We want to keep her dream alive. You can reach her at paula@paperfiesta.com or calling her at 508-545-1059. Tom posted this on Facebook: Look what came in the mail!! I called Paula Romero-Dunbar owner of Natick’s beloved Paper Fiesta store, gave her my price range and she texted me a picture of the items - no spoiler alerts Mary McManus, as she wrote on the box “Do not open until May10th!”


Paula's husband is Walter Dunbar, an Emergency Responder for the City of Boston. On April 15, 2013, he ran toward the finish line and right now he is in the front lines of caring for those during the pandemic. He doesn't go home at night out of concern for his family's well being. Paula manages caring for her older parents, her two children and keeping her dream alive! You can support her by making purchases or purchasing gift cards to use when she reopens!

Indie bookstores make up the very fiber of our neighborhoods and during this time need our support now more than ever! Brookline Booksmith was one of the first paperback bookstores in the country established in November 1961. While I miss hearing the creak of the wooden floor under my feet when I browse the shelves at Brookline Booksmith, or the sound of children's feet running to the children's section of the store, I can still enjoy browsing through their on line offerings. When we place an order on line, they always send a lovely thank you note in response to our order. Summertime is a great time for reading and now is the perfect time to get your beach reads. Yes I am an eternal optimist and believe we will be back on the beaches this summer!


In the small town of Simsbury, Connecticut, Jane Siegel, daughter-in-law of Bernie Siegel opened the doors to Wisdom of the Ages in 1997 as a continuation of a dream she'd had since she was little, spurred on by her parent's spirituality. Today, she runs it alongside her son Charlie (who was 3 years old when she opened the store!), working as a team to bring you spirituality, healing, meditation and inspiration to boost and uplift your personal potential for awesomeness. We have ordered a crystal singing bowl, books and meditation CD's from them through the years. Since they have had to temporarily close their doors to customers, we responded to a post Charlie made on Facebook suggesting we come up with general ideas and price range for what we'd like to order and then he would put together a Mystery Box. We were thrilled with the book, the Serenity banner, his beautiful greeting cards with his photography on the front and beautiful stones to help with calm and raising energy.


Charlie and Jane have wonderful ideas for Mothers Day Gifts:


Reach out to Charlie at 860-593-2146 and nourish yourself and those you love with their beautiful array of products.

May is a month that is supposed to be overflowing with celebrations with Mother's Day, graduations and Springtime birthdays; Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, fund raisers, galas and special events. Rachel G. Events, LLC has over 20 years of experience managing and executing special events. She is finding new and creative ways to adapt her business to the current climate. Listen to her interview on Podcast 617 as she talks about the future of events. Rachel is one to pay it forward. She runs as a charity runner to raise money for Boston Childrens Hospital and despite the state of uncertainty for her small business, she continues to pay it forward to help support her vendors and uplift others with ways to celebrate.

Rachel G Events presents.....
LAWN SiGNS FOR ALL OUR NEEDHAM GRADUATES! 🎓🎓🎓🎓
5th grade, 8th grade, High School Seniors & general one for all of us to show our support of our amazing graduates!
Proceeds to benefit BIDMC-Needham & Needham Community Council’s Programs. Order today for your graduate, friend, relative, neighbor!
Email: rachelgevents@gmail.com to place your order (include type of sign & address)
Free delivery! and she is expanding this to include other towns.


MAY BIRTHDAY?!?!
Rachel G Events can help you celebrate! Lawn signs and decor to brighten the birthday person’s day! 🎈🎈🎈
Contact RGE to order: rachelgevents@gmail.com


During these unprecedented times, rituals and rites of passage have been radically changed. There is someone available to help you navigate these uncharted waters....Kristabeth Atwood who is the small business owner of Rites of Passage, LLC. has 20 years of experience in spiritual care, ritual design, and officiating. She serves Vermont and surrounding communities, and Spiritual Care Sessions and Consulting Services are available through Video-Chat. She offers a One Minute Thought for the Day on Facebook and Instagram which invites us to start our day with a quote for reflection. I find these offerings to be a wonderful way to uplift and inspire me.


Kristabeth took a leap of faith and left her career as a parish minister to create Rites of Passage, LLC. Like many small businesses, she is experiencing the effects of the pandemic yet continues to find creative ways to serve and nourish her business and all who are blessed to know her. From Kristabeth's website: "I believe the transitions of our lives provide rich opportunities for growth, healing, and transformation. I’ve experienced it myself and I’ve witnessed it in the people I’ve worked with over the past 20 years. Yet, often we avoid transition, or just grit our teeth to get through because change is hard.

That’s why, in my work as a Ritual Designer, Officiant and Spiritual Caregiver, I walk with people through the transitions in their lives." You can reach Kristabeth by phone at 802-825-8141 or via email at ritesofpassagevt@gmail.com.

When my husband Tom had a knee injury from running, we debated how to proceed with his care. I had seen a Facebook post among my runner friends about George Leung of East/West Sports Acupuncture. We bypassed the traditional Western medicine route of having diagnostic tests and referral for physical therapy and scheduled an appointment with George. Six treatments later, Tom was back on the roads crossing the finish line of the Bermuda 10K feeling fine and at the top of his game. He goes for treatments whenever he feels the need. Our daughter threw her back out a few weeks before the Hyannis 10K. We knew exactly what to do! After two treatments she was up and running again crossing the finish line in Hyannis and is now training for the Cape Cod Half Marathon.

During the initial phase of the pandemic, George had so many cancellations that he closed his business for a few weeks. Fortunately he is considered an essential business and was able to reopen but people have been concerned about returning for care. George takes "out of an abundance of caution" to a whole new level. He is only seeing one patient at a time and has a one way entrance and exit to the treatment room. He wears a mask, gloves and a lab coat. East/West Sports Acupuncture & Orthopaedics, LLC unique approach integrates both Traditional Chinese Medicine (acupuncture) and Western orthopedics and sports medicine methods (athletic training and physical therapy); acupuncture, rehabilitation, and the kinesiology taping method together to holistically treat each individual's injury or condition. At East/West Sports Acupuncture & Orthopaedics, LLC the practitioner is experienced and educated in using the latest evidenced based research acupuncture, rehabilitation, and taping techniques to provide a positive outcome in patient's recovery. You can contact George at (617) 447-5919 or gleung@ewsportsacupuncture.com



During these extraordinary times, it is vital we take care of ourselves, our loved ones and our communities. It is a time to embody the spirit of "we're in this together" and for those of us who have the means, to support our small businesses that make up the very fabric of our lives.

Remember please:


From my heart to yours
In health and wellness
With love and peace
Mary

Be sure to visit my website to learn more about my inspirational journey from a wheelchair to the finish line of the Boston Marathon and beyond!

My books are available on Amazon.

A Second Wind

Whether in running or in life, we tend to impose limits on ourselves. Yet time and time and time again, we can surprise ourselves and get a second wind.

After running the 2009 Boston Marathon, I received a lot of publicity for what I had accomplished as a survivor of paralytic polio 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. On April 20, 2009, I crossed the finish line of THE Boston Marathon.


I had to take a hiatus from running to recover from training for Boston but in the summer of 2010, I was back on the roads enjoying the thrill of running and racing.

In March of 2011, I was devastated by my nephew's death. He took his life on March 4th which is my wedding anniversary.

As the fog of grief slowly cleared, I joined my Spaulding Rehab teammates on April 15, 2013 to celebrate my Boston Marathon run and cheer on the 2013 Race for Rehab Team from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. At 2:49 we heard a sound we usually don't associate with Marathon Monday; a cannon or perhaps the explosion of a man hole cover. A few seconds later the hotel shook and white smoke wafted up from Boylston Street.

"It's bad. It's real bad. It's a tragedy," said one of my former Race for Rehab teammates who had the courage to look out onto Boylston Street before we were evacuated from the Hotel.

It was a wake up call for me to get back to the sport I loved that was my medicine, my therapy and to become a part of a community of runners that would henceforth be known as Boston Strong.

My story was woven into the fabric of the survivor community and while I blogged and wrote another book, "Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance", a sequel to "Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility" I didn't actively put my story out there.

I was writing the next chapters of my life after getting a second wind. Despite a serious knee injury in December 2014, after being told to prepare for a total knee replacement and to give up running or at least cap my distance, I went on to run 3 Bermuda Half Marathons in as many years. My journey is a testament to the power of the mind/body connection and the power of the Spirit to prevail and overcome whatever challenges life may present.

Here I am ten years later after running the Boston Marathon with a new book, "The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953" and sharing my story as a guest on radio shows and conference calls about happiness, health and wellness.

I am most excited about my upcoming Book Launch Party hosted by my dear friends Walter and Paula-Romero Dunbar at their celebration boutique, Paper Fiesta in Natick Center Cultural District.



I am in awe of how people are reaching out to me eager to have me share my story with their networks and the responses I am receiving from people who have already read my book.

The full listing of News and Events can be found on my website.

My story is not just my story. It's a story for the ages about courage, strength, resilience, faith, determination and going far enough to find that second wind.

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

Be sure to visit my website by following this link.

My books are available on Amazon.



“The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953” takes you on Mary McManus’ healing odyssey from a wheelchair to the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and beyond. After the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome in December 2006, Mary got still and asked for Divine Guidance tapping into the powerful connection she experienced to the Divine from an early age. She harnessed the power of her mind to heal her body, feverishly writing poetry in which she imagined herself healthy, whole and free from the shackles of her youth. Mary’s quest to heal her life led her to the sport of running. Her story is one that will leave you cheering for the underdog, discovering the meaning of different ability and experiencing the stunning view from the back of the pack of a race. You will have the privilege of bearing witness to how Mary overcame every challenge that life presented to her. The sport of running provides the backdrop for her journey of transformation from a survivor of childhood paralytic polio and severe trauma at the hands of family members to a woman who embodies faith, grace under fire, courage, determination, endurance and resilience. Running became a way of life for Mary that tested her mettle while forging friendships to last a lifetime. As you’ll discover in “The Adventures of Runnergirl 1953” nothing, not even a serious knee injury in December of 2014 could stop her on the roads or in her life.

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:


Going the Distance: The Power of Endurance (With a Foreword by Jacqueline Hansen):


My healing journey using the power of visualization is featured in David R. Hamilton's book, "How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body-Anniversary Edition." It's available on Amazon.