The Velveteen Rabbit

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand." http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/williams/rabbit/rabbit.html

{If you have not read or do not remember the story of the Velveteen Rabbit, you can read it in full at the above link}

My friend Frankie Picasso posted on my facebook wall that the reason people are inspired by me and my poetry is because I am the REAL deal. Thank you Frankie! I was not always living my authentic life. I was not living from a state of be-ing. I put a wall around my heart and spirit for protection. While I was graced by God when I was paralyzed with polio at the age of 5, there was no one telling me that I am loveable with all of my imperfections. There was no one encouraging me to be real. I thought I had it all figured out. I would concentrate on my studies, work hard, succeed and that would be my life.

But there was an inner knowing, there was the desire to be whole and to be real. The gift of post polio syndrome led me to go inside. Physically I could no longer run around and do and escape from the pain. It was time to heal. It was time to become. It was time to be real. It is a time to unearth the hidden treasure of me. To dust off the layers of trauma and to look at the beliefs I harbored about myself and how the world works is a journey of discovery. The pain and the grief are transformed by God's Love, and the healing comes with forgiveness and gratitude.

When fear or flashbacks try to take hold and beckon me to contract and hide inside, I acknowledge their presence and ask that The Presence help the feelings to melt away. I can harness the power of imagination to create positive thoughts or thoughts of dread and worry. It's the same process so it makes a lot more sense to allow the love and light and joy and optimism to flow through me as God intends it to. I can open my heart to receive God's Love and allow myself to be REAL or I can contract into a state of allowing the beliefs drilled into me and reinforced with a belt to loom over my head. Is there really a choice here? I breathe deeply filling my heart with overflowing gratitude for the love and lovely people now in my life. Just as I was once tossed aside like the Velveteen Rabbit {after the Boy contracted scarlet fever and was sent to be burned to get rid of the germs}, wonderful healing angels came into my life to help me embark on a wonderful journey of transformation.


Poetry and photos of my Boston Marathon journey are now available at www.marymcmanus.com

Thanks for joining me on my journey of love

God bless and be well

With love,
Mary

When God Calls do you sometimes want to hang up?

Team McManus is on the run again. No, not as in on the run away from the law but literally on the run. I have a beautiful new friend, Laurel Labdon, who I met at the Exceptional Women Luncheon. She and Candy O'Terry, co host of the award winning Exceptional Women Show on Boston's # 1 FM Radio Station Magic 106.7 are pictured above. I knew there was something special as soon as we connected but had no idea, yet again, the path that would unfold because of our meeting. Laurel invited me to do a poetry reading at her Studio on Slough Road at the August 14th opening reception and asked me to do a book signing at one of the receptions for the 2011 season. But that is not all, oh no that is not all (quoting The Cat in the Hat).

I 'just happened' to see on Facebook that Laurel was looking for a runner for the Falmouth Road Race. She had two numbers and needed two runners to raise $400 in exchange for having the opportunity to run in the Falmouth Road Race. When I looked at the race info, I saw that there is a pretty stringent time limit. I learned that I don't need that kind of stress in my life! It just 'so happened' that my husband needed me to pick him up at work midday because he had a computer emergency and needed the car. I asked him if he would be interested in running Falmouth. It's always been a dream of his. But what if we can't get a hotel room, do we have the money to pay for this, how are we going to raise the money in just two months? I was going to hang up on God calling.

My husband said go for it so I booked our hotel room at one of our favorite places in Falmouth and told Laurel it was a go. If you noticed the date of my poetry reading in Brewster on the Cape is 8/14 and guess when the run is? August 15th so it makes for a wonderful weekend vacation. When it comes to spending money for other people, I just do it. When it comes to giving to me - well let's just say I am working on it. I began to feel overwhelmed. After all, I am raising funds to help get a steady stream of funding for Hope Charitable Trust. Aren't I taking away from one to give to the other and then this morning during my meditation, God spoke "There is abundance for all. Team McManus is paying it forward in many ways and you can let your friends and acquaintances know about the amazing, wonderful work you are doing."

I did a lot of journaling these past two days. With the changes and transitions in our household with our daughter now on her own, with Fathers Day as well as some other triggers from the Universe, I have had a blessed opportunity to heal some wounds. I wrote and prayed and read and talked with my wonderful husband. On our run yesterday, we were inspired to come up with an idea for a yard sale as a fund raiser. We clean out what we don't need, offer some of our treasures to others and raise money for his run. As we did when we did our Race for Rehab, we have an opportunity to bring the community together for a great cause. Oh my goodness, I forgot to tell you about this cause - silly me.

Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts, a non-profit, grassroots program of achievement, advocacy and opportunity for the mobility impaired in Massachusetts. The mission of the Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts Program is to provide through a chosen representative an opportunity for women of achievement who utilize wheelchairs to successfully educate and advocate for individuals with disabilities and influence social change for all Massachusetts residents. Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts carries out this mission by educating leaders and local communities by promoting awareness, advocacy and change in public policy for individuals with physical disabilities.

I continue to Pay it Forward and have many exciting Events happening this summer and fall. So when God calls, I answer. When I get still and listen to the promptings of my heart, God provides for everything that is needed.

I know that you will help us to pay it forward. You can make a donation for Tom's Falmouth Road Race run by visiting the website for Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts and in the instructions on paypal just make a note your donation is for Tom McManus.

I am so filled with joy that I can share with you another wonderful cause that is working to help others who face physical challenges in their lives. I am so blessed to know the beginning of a beautiful friendship with a beautiful woman, Laurel Labdon whose quote on her email says it all, "We do less than we ought unless we do all that we can."

God bless and be well
With love,
Mary