Impossible is nothing..I leave my doubts at the starting line

The journey of life is in many ways like a marathon -- there are times when we cruise downhill and feel the wind at our backs and then there are other times when there is an arduous uphill with the force of the wind trying to hold us back; we feel as though there is no way we can take another step. But asking God to guide the journey takes the sting out of the wind and makes the downhill cruising time so much more joyful. The title for this post is taken from the Adidas commercial for the Boston Marathon....and it is a motto that I want to drink into the depths of my soul. For with God, impossible is nothing and when I let God's love waft into my soul, there is no room for fear or doubt. This weekend we will run 12 miles for our training run....God has blessed us with miraculous weather (except for one weekend when there was a torrential downpour - God just wanted to let me know that no matter what, I was gonna get out there and run and that it is just as important to drink in the sunshine as it is to dance in the rain) and the forecast calls for sunshine once again. This is a journey I cannot undertake alone...in addition to frequent calls to God (1-800-54-GOD -- like the Giant Glass commercial) I seek out love and support from friends and family. To see the joy in other people's eyes as I share my story and my vision for running a marathon fuels me to be courageous and strong. My prayer is that the joy and the hope and the passion and the love that now burns brightly like the Olympic torch in my soul warms you, brings you hope and fuels your journey in the marathon of life. {The photo is of my husband Tom and myself at the Marathon Sports Weston 5 Miler Race}

Healing Through the Gift of Poetry-Welcome to My World!

In February 2007, on a dark, cold winter's day I was contemplating my future. I had worked as a social worker for over 25 years and having been diagnosed with post polio syndrome I knew I had to quit my full time job...but what's a social worker to do? I had always enjoyed writing customized poetry for friends and family and they all told me I should work for a major greeting card company....on that day in February as I sat in a leg brace and using a cane and at times a wheelchair for mobility, I felt the urge to create...and poetry began to pour out of me. A book was beginning to take shape and my husband told me that I should start my own greeting card company. New World Greetings, customized poetry for all occasions was born (www.newworldgreetings.com) and I was blessed to have my book published: New World Greetings:Inspirational Poetry and Musings for a New World (Publish America 2007). By reconnecting with God in my life, following my bliss, making major lifestyle changes, quitting my full time job, going through intensive outpatient rehab at Boston's Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and then hiring a personal trainer, I have experienced amazing physical healing. I traded in my polio shoes for a pair of running shoes this past March and on 10/13/08, my daughter and I ran the Tufts 10K Road Race at our record time of 13:53 minute/mile! Phenomenal considering that two years prior, I could barely walk up the stairs in my house and saw a very bleak future for myself.