"What do you want to do after your run?" I asked Ruth Anne when she called me during the cool down portion of her 4 Mile Race Pace intervals training run.
"Well it's too nice to go stretch in the pool as we planned. How about the beach? Or maybe breakfast out? No let's have breakfast and debated whether to 'hang out' at home or get some vitamin sea. We know how short summers are in New England so decided to head to the beach.
While I was fixing breakfast, I announced to Ruth Anne and Tom: It's a great day to have a great day. I am setting my intention for 1. Tom you are getting your offer letter today for full time employment. 2. Ruth Anne there's gonna be a lot happening with your fundraising campaign today and 3. Something is going to happen with your job finding journey. I felt so happy knowing that all of this would come to pass and so grateful for all of the blessings in our lives.
Tom called me over after I set this intention and showed me his offer letter!
He got busy taking care of the onboarding process and transitioning from contract work to perm employee at the job where he has been for 8 months with great people doing what he loves.
Intention #1 - check!
Ruth Anne and I had to decide where to go to the beach. When I got to South Boston I said, "okay, where to?" and we opted for this small stretch of beach between M Street and Castle Island. There was one woman playing with her two dogs in the ocean but there was no one else on the beach on this end of summer sizzling hot day.
I read a wonderful fiction book, "Nora Goes Off Script" and what a delicious treat to have time to go off line and just veg with a good read. Ruth Anne spread out her beach towel and took a nap. Getting up at 6am and doing Half Marathon training and fundraising is exhausting.
We went for a walk to the water but there were too many rocks between us and the water. We wondered about going to another beach where we'd be able to wade into the water.
"It's so peaceful here and there's no one here so why don't we just stay?"
I agreed with Ruth Anne.
We sat and chatted noticing it was getting close to lunch time. Tom said we should go out for a girls' lunch and go back to the beach but Ruth Anne and I didn't feel quite right doing that.
"Let's text dad and tell him we'll bring home lunch."
We saw two men coming close to shore in a kayak. One of them let out a squeal of delight as he dove into the ocean off of the kayak shouting, "I highly recommend it."
They brought the kayak to shore. As we walked to our car we heard, 'Behind you.'
In retrospect that was odd because there was a wide stretch of beach without anyone else on the beach but there they were right behind us.
I looked down at the kayak.
"We went out to Spectacle Island."
"Wow," I said.
"It's really beautiful out there. You should go!"
"I've been," I said. "I did my first trail race out there. I'd never done a trail race before."
The other person said from behind their vehicle, "I did that race."
"He looks and sounds familiar. Do we know him?" Ruth Anne asked me. "I think I heard him call him Paul."
I agreed that he looked and sounded so familiar.
"I know. He really does."
Without thinking or missing a beat I said, "Excuse me. Is your friend's name Paul?"
"That's my son," he said, "and yes his name is Paul."
"Paul Epstein," Ruth Anne shouted.
"Yes, from BHS," his dad said. "Go say hello."
"Hi Paul, It's Ruth Anne McManus." She took off her sunglasses and he said, "Oh my goodness I didn't recognize you with the sunglasses on." He embraced her in a big hug.
"I used to come into your office all the time asking for Red Sox tickets." Paul is a social worker at Brookline High School. His brother Theo Epstein was the manager of the Red Sox when they won the pennant.
"Did I come through?" Paul asked.
"No." Ruth Anne answered.
"Well..it's never too late," Paul said with a warm smile.
I nudged Ruth Anne but she was way ahead of me telling him about her fundraising campaign. She shared her health crisis journey with him. His compassion was palpable as he told her to send him an email with all of the information and he will do whatever he can to support her events. I cried as she recounted the journey feeling so blessed and grateful that we are here now. He said, "So that's why you want to pay it forward and help others."
As we parted ways he said, "So I am going to look for that email from you! Take care."
I received an email from a friend saying that she was delighted to hear from me and would absolutely support Ruth Anne's fundraiser for Victory Programs. There was a friend's Facebook post about the number of deaths due to overdose in Massachusetts during the last decade. I used it as a way to talk about the life saving work of Victory Programs and share the fundraising link. Another donation flowed in with many more to follow to be sure.
Fundraising intention - check!
Now this last intention took a very interesting turn orchestrated by the Universe. Ruth Anne has been discerning what next steps she wants to take in this next season of her life. She has worked in different roles and explored many different options. She feels a strong pull to being able to make a difference in people's lives and while she is doing so in a big way with her fundraising campaign for Victory Programs, she wants to have a direct impact in people's lives. She interviewed for one role and knew she could grow into the role but continued to have this sense that she needs a boost with more education. She has looked at many different programs and took two courses at the Masters Level at Boston College in Leadership and Administration. She loves learning! Just as we came to the conclusion that there was not a program out there that would not require her to take out more student loans, especially since there is going to be debt relief for her current loans or one that would bring her a good ROI, she found a Certificate in Human Services program at Mass Bay Community College. The people she spoke with were kind and helpful guiding her to what she needs to do to start classes next week.
Intention for job finding journey - check!
Yesterday was a magical and miraculous day. When I woke up this morning, the gratitude in my heart overflowed with tears streaming down my face and stress releasing from my body.
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
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