Come Out And Play!

I wrote one of my favorite poems after a dream I had. I was dancing in the rain a la Gene Kelly in Singing in the Rain without my leg brace or shoes, splashing in the puddles healthy, whole and free.

From "Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life":
Come Out and Play

Arms flung open wide dancing in the rain
pure abiding joy to feel alive again
healing tears fall and blend in God’s puddle
no time to sit in a corner and huddle
all the old rules driven by fears
washed away now by God’s loving tears
the imprint dad left no longer remains
rain washes away all of the stains
baptized with love, Truth lights my way
the sun shines through on this rainy day
splashing and laughing my heart opens wide
embracing and flowing I’m one with the tide
God takes my hand release the old way
bathe in my glory come out and play!

I continue to be in awe of the miracle of my healing from the effects of paralytic polio and trauma. Shortly after the diagnosis of Post Polio Syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease, I got still and asked for Divine Guidance. The answer came in the form of a poem, Running the Race, followed by many many poems in which I imagined a future very different from my past and a future very different from the one the doctors predicted for me: to prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair.

I combined working with an earth angel of a physical therapist at Spaulding Outpatient Hospital in Boston with harnessing the power of the mind/body connection to create a path for healing. While feverishly writing poetry, I worked my body out of its deconditioned state. After being discharged from outpatient physical therapy, I was led to a personal trainer in October of 2007. By February of 2008, I made significant improvements in my functioning and declared that I wanted to run the 2009 Boston Marathon for Spaulding Rehab as part of their Race for Rehab Team despite never having run a day in my life.

Running became a way of life for me; medicine to heal mind, body and soul!

We knew the weather was going to be windy and raw this morning based on the forecast and yesterday's evening walk. We were not going to be deterred in getting in our Monday morning 5K.

We resurrected our winter running clothes and donned a bada** attitude. We were going to be really bada** and go around the Reservoir but once we got there, the winds were whipping the water into whitecaps. We decided to ad lib a run around our neighborhood.

There was not a "sole" in sight and while it is incredibly challenging to have a stay at home order, it was liberating to not be concerned with social distancing or wearing a mask. I could imagine a time when we no longer need to be concerned with wearing a mask, social distancing or whether or not there will be what we need in the grocery store (although I do imagine and feel that everything I need is available to me) and I felt that reality course through every cell in my body with each foot strike.

Ruth Anne and I experienced the exhilaration, rejuvenation and unbridled joy of being out in the elements this morning.

It was invigorating to run in those conditions in late April; perhaps because we know warmer temperatures are on the way and we have already been treated to some glorious Springtime weather in New England.

Several of my runner friends posted their runs on Facebook and expressed what a glorious feeling it was to play in the rain this morning.

Before the diagnosis of Post Polio Syndrome, I had no idea what it meant to play, to run and move freely in my body.



What a treasure and a gift it is to go out for a run in wind and rain!

I invite you all to come out and play!


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.

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

On Signs, Synchronicity and a Morning Run in the Rain

When the 5:45am alarm goes off in the middle of October and it's dark and raining outside, it doesn't inspire one to get up and go out for a run. I know how every step is a gift and every mile is a blessing as a survivor of paralytic polio and having been told 12 years ago I should prepare to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair diagnosed with Post-Polio Syndrome.

After our 20 minute meditation, Team McManus got dressed and headed to the Chestnut Hill Reservoir.

It had been a brutal several days with Ruth Anne's healing and recovery journey with PANS/PANDAS, an autoimmune condition that is a result of the immune system attacking the brain instead of a virus or bacterial infection and manifests with neuropsychiatric symptoms. We were all feeling depleted and drained but as always remaining positive and hopeful.

As we approached the Reservoir, Ruth Anne said, "Look a rainbow"


My heart filled with gratitude.

As we crossed the street, runners were taking videos and photos while we smiled at one another.

The rainbow continued to shine:


We were treated to these sensational scenes as we ran through periods of intermittent rain:




We felt cleansed, refreshed and renewed dedicated to moving forward:


After picking Tom up from work on Tuesday evening, we decided that we would pick up a few sides to go with our dinner, get our lottery ticket and stop at the bank. There were no sides at Star Market, the line for the lottery was extremely long and not moving because someone was cashing a check and we decided to completely abort the mission.

Tom usually takes a left out of the parking lot at Star Market but for "some reason" he took a right turn.

While we were waiting at the stop light Ruth Anne said, "Look...it's #lacostestrong referencing the sticker on the back of the car in front of us in the next lane:


Kevin LaCoste is a beloved member of Team Big Heart and the Westford Community and he suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury this summer. Part of the fundraising and spirit raising efforts has been stickers, tattoos, t-shirts along with a GoFundMe page and various fundraisers around town. You can read about Kevin and Ali's journey in my blog. I posted it on Facebook and immediately got a response that it was a friend of one of Kevin's family members.

After I shared our story of having arrived at that moment quite by accident, she said:
I love it! I also normally go a different route on my way home from MAA but I just felt like taking Hammond st today instead of Hammond pond parkway. Not sure why but now I know.



We had experienced a rough and tumble several days as can often happen with PANS/PANDAS and life in general but were reminded that the Divine is ever present in our lives.

A rainbow - a cleansing run in the rain and an amazing moment of synchronicity to end the day ... all is well when we have faith and stay connected to the Source of all that is!

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.