In seven days from right now, Team McManus will be nearing the finish line of the 113th Boston Marathon. There is excitement and anticipation and how am I anticipating that Marathon Monday will be for me and Team McManus? This morning I woke up feeling a twinge of fear and anxiety - after all I am pretty far outside of my comfort zone and then peace and a beautiful meditation replaced the fear. I saw my quad muscles as golden braids lovingly created by God; every sinew of the muscle has been infused with God's light and love and has all the nutrients and energy ready to run 26.2 miles. I saw my gluts as being overflowing with strength and being poised and ready to get me through Heartbreak Hill. My bones are so strong; the callouses on my feet are there as padding to support me on this amazing journey and I have plenty of foam insulation in my joints to absorb the shock of the pounding on the asphalt. {p.s. I just googl'ed sinew and learned that it means tendon - I visualized sinew as the striations in the muscle - still could be been awhile since I took biology but there are 2 other meanings for sinew - Vigorous strength; muscular power.The source or mainstay of vitality and strength so it was a perfect image.}
When the dark and dreary thoughts try to rear their head,one of my favorite tools to use is gratitude - whenever I begin to feel a knot in my stomach, I transform it with thoughts of gratitude. I realized that my fear around road closures and not being able to get to Spaulding to board the bus for Hopkinton was a reaction to feeling as though I would be blocked/barricaded from experiencing the absolute joy and excitement in this challenge for which Team McManus spent the last year preparing for. So if that thought pops up I say, "Thank You God for getting us to Spaulding Rehab with great ease on Marathon Monday". If I am afraid my alarm won't go off I say, "Thank You God for making sure that I wake up at 5 am". If I start to focus on anxiety around finances because, after all, being a self employed entrepreneur and an author requires a lot of faith and belief in what I am doing, I say, "Thank You God for providing for my every need. Thank You for the resources to pay my bills. Thank You for being so blessed that I can give back to Spaulding Rehab through the sale of my book. Thank You for inspiring me to find ways to generate income. Thank You for all of my clients and readers and Thank You for sources of income both expected and unexpected.Thank You God for my husband's wonderful job at Childrens Hospital." And while I'm on the subject of money, I read a beautiful blog post by Vision Runner at www.runnerinsight.com. She talks about money as truly meaningless in and of itself;it is a way to express gratitude. We pay a mortgage to express our gratitude for the home we live in; we give someone a tip which is a gratuity to say thank you for good service, and to receive more money, it is important to have the confidence that more is on its way through being generous and giving.
I am surrounded by so much love and support that it would take me a lifetime to express the gratitude toward everyone who has been blessing this journey. I realize that I have blessed others with my courage, faith, determination and the miracle of healing that I have co-created with God. On April 20, 2009 I anticipate perfect weather, a perfect morning of preparation, joy and excitement beyond anything I could ever imagine and God's perfect Love shining on Team McManus and all the amazing runners who will take to the road to run the 113th Boston Marathon.
To celebrate National Poetry Month, be sure to purchase a copy of my book, "New World Greetings:Inspirational Poetry and Musings for a New World" at www.newworldgreetings.com 20% of the proceeds go to Spaulding Rehab's Polio Fund www.spauldingrehab.org
Remember Mom - it's less than a month to Mother's Day - be sure to order your customized poem to tell mom just how special she is - go to www.newworldgreetings.com to see samples of what I can create for you. And for all of your Spring and Summer occasions, order a poem from New World Greeting Cards where "It's more than a card, It's a gift from the heart."
It's not too late to donate to Team McManus - visit www.firstgiving.com/teammcmanus and make your donation - even though we reached our goal, we're not stopping! Spaulding Rehab - where remarkable recoveries like mine happen every day.
God bless and see you at the finish line
Mary
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