There are many traditions that I've had to let go of during the pandemic. This time of year would be a time to prepare to celebrate the holidays and my Christmas birthday while getting ready for our annual winter trip to Bermuda. This is the 2nd year that we will forego that tradition. We will embark on a new tradition this year, hearing Voices of Hope Boston singing Christmas Carols at Jordan's Furniture Enchanted Village on December 18th.
Tom and Ruth Anne are training for the Providence Marathon in May of 2022 to benefit Victory Programs and Victory Programs ReVision Urban Farm. It's their first marathon training and fundraising endeavor since Tom ran Boston in 2011 for Boston Childrens Hospital. Since I ran the 2009 Boston Marathon, I have opted to be support crew. A once and done marathon for me was a great accomplishment! I am so thrilled to experience the excitement of bringing the community together for great causes, to hear from people we've not connected with in awhile and to watch Tom and Ruth Anne run with heart to once again go the distance of the marathon. As of this writing, she is $408 away from her first milestone fundraising goal of $3000. Here is the fundraising link. It is heartwarming to experience the cheers and well wishes of our running family as we did when Team McManus ran the 2009 Boston Marathon. We are all hungry for feel good stories and Ruth Anne's miraculous journey is one that is embraced by our village.
We usually have a slate of races on our calendar as we bid farewell to an old year and head into a New Year including a Jingle Bell run. We have decided to forego the Jingle Bell run this year and stay focused on marathon training. We are not sure if there will be another Camp Hyannis aka Hyannis Marathon Weekend which was our last event before the pandemic in March of 2020 but are going to let go of that tradition in 2022. We are hopeful that the Falmouth Road Race and the Cape Cod Marathon will take place in August and October and are excited to return to our happy place for a race-cation, and are very excited about exploring Providence Rhode Island, a new race destination.
There are relationships that we released in 2021 as the pandemic helped us to discern who and what we want to have in our lives. All experiences were an important part of the tapestry of our lives and it's important to honor the importance they served at the time.
Other relationships have flowed into our lives that have brought wonderful rich, new experiences. I was blessed to be a guest on several podcasts to discuss Hope is a Garden: Poems and Essays From the 2020 Pandemic. Visit my News and Events page on my website to hear these inspirational interviews of how hope, and writing essays and poetry were critical to navigating the pandemic. Dan Thibeault, podcast producer for The Cardinal Cafe and Live Your Best Life, was inspired to reach out to me to create an audio book of my poems set to music. Together we were inspired to create, "Read Out for a Cure: Hope is a Garden - Forty Poems From the Pandemic to Uplift and Inspire You."
In September, Tom realized it was time to retire from his position at Boston College and explore new possibilities. We are keenly aware now of what is important to have in work/life balance. With his technical skills, he will always find a place to work to generate a revenue stream during retirement. We even toyed with a non-technical job but by continuing to work in tech, he is able to do contract jobs and then take time off.
Ruth Anne experienced many different jobs in 2021. As we expressed gratitude for this past year and all we have learned, enjoyed and grown, Ruth Anne was most grateful to discover that she is totally capable of being able to work and to 'put up with a lot' in the work place. She is discovering her passion and purpose while she pursues her Masters Degree at Boston College. To help manage the symptoms of the traumatic brain injury that occurred as a result of an untreated infection, she was on a complicated medication regimen with many side effects. She is successfully tapering off of these meds and will be going into a New Year with a much lighter and smaller med box having so much more energy and vitality!
While every year brings an ebb and flow of letting go, transition and change, the pandemic has punctuated this cycle with a big exclamation point in 2021.
We don't know if fully vaccinated will mean having a booster shot although trends are heading in that direction. Masks are mandated at least through March of next year and while experts are keeping an eye on trends, testing and booster shots, Team McManus is keeping their eyes on health, well-being, doing good, letting go and letting in all the goodness and grace of the Universe in 2022. It's a milestone year as Tom turns 70 in March, we celebrate our 45th wedding anniversary in March, and the twins turn 35. My intention is to send out ripples of love, kindness, prosperity, abundance and healing from our hearth, hearts and home to the world.
From my heart to yours
In health and wellness,
Mary
Be sure to visit my website at https://marymcmanus.com to learn about my journey to health and wellness in the wake of paralytic polio and trauma
Visit the News and Events tab to listen to my inspiring and uplifting interviews
My books to motivate, uplift and inspire you are available on Amazon
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