In The Face of Adversity...What's in my Toolbox?

 

We agreed that this year, unlike in 2016, we would go to bed early and wait for any election results in the morning. Everything seemed so different from 2016 once Kamala Harris became the nominee. Even her campaign manager was confident that there was a clear path to victory. She had the money, a brilliantly executed campaign, throngs of supporters at her rallies, backing from members of the Republican Party and his own staff from when he was 45 organizing to vote for Kamala. It was quite a shock when Tom, Ruth Anne and I checked my email to see the Globe headline that he was on the cusp to become the 47th President. We all felt gutted, shocked, angry, frustrated and confused. It was incomprehensible a) that he was allowed to run for office and b) anyone would vote for a felon among all the many labels he and his followers carry. Fear and racing thoughts took hold until we all took a collective breath and moved forward with our day. 

We connected with like-hearted individuals in social media and in real time. We were blessed with "chance meetings" in the neighborhood with two neighbors who we've known for years. We shared a laugh, tears, anger and hugs. Ruth Anne also visited a dear friend whose daughter is critically ill in the hospital. They made it a political free zone. 

On Wednesday evening, Ruth Anne received notification that her dream of the past 5 years to run the Boston Marathon for Spaulding Rehab had come true. She has been accepted to the Race for Rehab Team. She is well enough to take on the challenges of running Boston and fund raising. She wants to give back to the place that has done so much to help her find her strength and fully recover from her incredible challenges of the past 5 years. The outpouring of love and support on Facebook for her announcement touched our hearts and souls. On Thursday, we kept very busy with chores, fund raising and continued connections with like-hearted friends and family. We had morning miles with a mission as we mailed off Ruth Anne's contract with Spaulding.

 

On Friday, after all that busyness on Thursday, we took a lot of time for meditation and prayer. I realized that I needed to reflect on what do I have in my toolbox to navigate this time of adversity and challenge. We poured our time, treasure and talent into the campaign and would do it all over again in a heartbeat but I needed to dig deep into my toolbox to maintain equanimity, and not be swallowed up by fear, anger and disappointment. I have known adversity and trauma since I was 5 years old. After the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome at the age of 53, I had to take a deep dive into how to radically improve my physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

Perhaps these tools will be helpful to others. Feel free to add comments and share your own.

I started with gratitude. I looked through my Mac and Facebook photos to find gratitude quotes. Writing poetry about gratitude opened the portal to healing after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome. In November, I post about 30 days of gratitude. This year I am amplifying those posts and honing in on what I am grateful for. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shortly after I contracted paralytic polio at age 5, I had an out of body experience. That touch of grace enabled me to endure recovery from paralytic polio and abuse at the hands of family members. I knew that the darkness would not prevail. I knew that there was something within me greater than my circumstances. I have faith that we all have the capacity to navigate these challenging times as we did in 2016. Staying connected with like-hearted people as we ride the waves of emotions and feeling a collective sense of determination based in faith and hope is an anchor.

It's sometimes easier to do this which is where my meditation practice comes in. I've been following Dan Harris on Instagram who wrote the book, "10 Percent Happier" and has been offering wonderful words of wisdom on his account. "Action is an antidote to anxiety," and "Don't do anxiety alone" are two gems. He also shares wisdom from the meditation teachers he has studied with through the years. Ruth Anne and I are reading "Make Every Move a Meditation" by Nita Sweeney. I love Divine Timing that we 'just happened' to be reading this book when we need it most. She even references her reaction to seeing yard signs during the 2016 election cycle. I put a time limit on my catastrophic thinking greeting my thoughts with compassion but not allowing the doom and gloom scenario to swallow me up. I am not watching the news and came up with a saying, "No news = less blues." I know that I will find out what information I need to be informed but not inundated.

A quote I heard years ago is, "If you're feeling helpless, help someone."

Did you know that kindness is an antidote to stress? And choosing kindness during these times where there are so many unkind words and actions being spoken is not an easy feat. BUT it is vital for our health and well-being. I am so blessed to be friends with Dr. David Hamilton. His latest book is, "The Joy of Actually Giving a F***."

Not only does he talk about the joy of caring for others but how vital it is to care for ourselves. He addresses those kindness conundrums such as how are we kind in the face of unkindness. It is a perfect time to pick up his book where he uses science to address the health benefits of kindness and why kindness is needed now more than ever. He is also offering a FREE 21-day kindfulness experiment that combines meditation and kindness practices. As I said earlier, I am in awe and so grateful for the Divine Timing of having these books and people coming into my life.

I've been friends with Tom D'Angora on Facebook through our mutual love of Barry Manilow. He played a major role in Hillary Clinton's campaign in 2016. We each shared the view that Kamala Harris' short yet extremely effective campaign had such a different feel from 2016. Despite his own feelings of devastation, he became a beacon of light emphasizing the need for self-care and expressing the feelings of his collective village. He suggested that we begin a daily journal of things that make us smile; where can we find the joy and a few moments of respite and relief while we process what happened. We then share on his page. 

And speaking of Divine Timing.. I saw a post from my friend Lee Woodruff that she was a guest on the Optimism Institute's podcast, "Blue Sky." That was back on September 25th. I had on my to do list that I wanted to listen to it and also reach out to the host, Bill Burke to see if my journey would be a good fit to share on his podcast. I finally got to it last week. We connected on LinkedIn and his assistant scheduled a time for us to meet. I follow the Optimism Institute on Instagram and Bill shared Reasons To Be Cheerful Post. I highly recommend following both those accounts and listening to the Blue Sky podcast.

Lee talks about her toolbox of navigating that horrific time in her life after Bob was critically injured in Iraq. She could write a book about resilience. Oh and she has! 

Chocolate - yes chocolate is in my toolbox but not just any chocolate, FlavaNaturals.

Let me close on this longer than usual blog post with two quotes:

and...  “Optimism is different than positive - and it's definitely not naive. Optimism is the belief that the future is positive, that there's a light at the end of the tunnel and we're heading there, together.” ~Simon Sinek

In health and wellness,

Mary

Visit my website to be inspired by my journey. May it ignite a spark within you to go farther than you ever believed you could. Be sure to visit the News and Events Page with links to podcast interviews, speaking engagements, where you can find my incredibly inspirational story and upcoming events.

Proud to BU is a podcast highlighting the illustrious achievements of Boston University Alumni. Here is the link to my episode.

My books that pack powerful messages of healing, hope and possibilities are available on Amazon  My 7th book, "A Most Unlikely Runner:Inspiration From The Heart of a Warrior" is receiving rave reviews and is a selection of the WBZ News Radio Book Club.

 

 

Chocolate -- FlavaNaturals

The Release of Read Out for a Cure

 

Before the beginning of the 2020 pandemic, I had completed my Trilogy of Transformation and released "Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life." I felt my work as an author was complete and focused my goals on expanding my gigs as a motivational speaker sharing my journey to inspire others. When I was out on a run with my daughter in March of 2020, I felt the spigot in my soul open once more. Poems and essays documenting this unparalleled time in our history became "Hope is a Garden: Poems and Essays From the 2020 Pandemic." 

Since there were no in person events, I took to the airways to share my story and to talk about "Hope" on podcasts and radio shows.

Hosts Liz Brunner (Live Your Best Life) and Greg Chastain (The Cardinal Cafe) read my poems during my interviews. Dan Thibeault, podcast producer extraordinaire set them to music in the post-production phase.  

He was inspired to send me an email, "“I think your poetry book would be great as an audio book version with each one read by a different person and music under them. Have you ever considered that?”

I meditated on the idea. I wasn't sure what Dan had in mind. I didn't know Dan well. With Tom being semi-retired and doing contract work, I didn't want to invest in a venture. Dan suggested we set up a Zoom meeting.

Greg Chastain. President and Founder of Voices of Hope Boston said during our conversation at the Cardinal Café podcast that my poems “hit every note that Voices of Hope puts out there." 

Voices of Hope is a small non-profit north of Boston that raises funds for cancer research through live theater and musical events. 

Since Voices of Hope Boston did not have their performances to generate funds during COVID,  I was inspired to make this project a novel fund raiser for Voices of Hope if that were something Dan would be interested in. Dan made it clear to me from the outset that his intention was not to turn this project into a project that would generate income for him. He was absolutely thrilled to have me present the idea to Voices of Hope Boston's Board of Directors.

They were enamored with the idea.

Dan, Greg and I set out to get readers for the poems I selected from "Hope." I initially chose 50 poems but culled it to Forty Poems and came up with the title: "Read Out for a Cure-Hope is a Garden: Forty Poems From the Pandemic to Uplift and Inspire."

Read Out for a Cure features readings by beloved local and national celebrities as well as members from the Voices of Hope Boston's own community. 

Greg reached out to Sean Allan Krill, Tony nominated actor for Jagged Little Pill. He said that he would be delighted to participate as would his husband, critically acclaimed actor Harry Bouvy. They were one of the first readers to get us their Mp3 last September.

In November, Tom, Ruth Anne and I went with Voices of Hope to New York to support Sean and the reopening of Broadway. Greg presented Sean with a Voices of Hope jacket and Sean presented Greg with an autographed poster of Jagged Little Pill to use for the Virtual Gala of Hope's Silent Auction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As everyone submitted their recordings, Dan worked feverishly behind the scenes to set the tracks to music.  Dan and I worked as a team to track the tracks, reach out for substitute readers when readers had to graciously drop out of the production and, on February 22, we released the production.

Here is the link for a preview of Sean reading "Fear or Faith."  

All proceeds from Read Out for a Cure will be donated by Voices of Hope Boston to the Henri and Belinda Termeer Center for Targeted Therapies. 

In many ways, the Termeer Center represents a paradigm shift from traditional clinical cancer research. For example, in traditional clinical trials, experimental therapies are tested first in patients who have not responded to standard treatments. However, with genotype-based targeted therapies, clinical trials can begin at a much earlier stage of the disease process, when the chances of observing benefits for the patient are far greater. Additionally, since various forms of cancer have been found to share common tumor mutations, researchers are learning to apply targeted drugs across multiple tumor types. With this personalized, genotype-based approach, the Termeer Center can rapidly assign patients to the treatment that fits their cancer’s unique genetic profile.

Casandra McIntyre, Nurse Director at the Termeer Center for Therapies, spoke at the Virtual Gala of Hope. She shared one example of how the Termeer Center was able to use monies raised by Voices of Hope to help with transportation for patients who had difficulty getting access to clinical trials. Traditionally, there has been inequity for minorities to participate in clinical trials and a major barrier to accessing care is transportation. I experienced this when I worked as a social worker at the Department of Veterans Affairs. I know what a difference having easy access to transportation can make for patients.

 

To receive your link to download Read Out for a Cure, send $10 via Paypal to maryamcmanus.com or Venmo @Mary-McManus-21.

 

Be uplifted and inspired by my messages of healing, hope, light, faith, and love set against the backdrop of the seasons and nature.

My words set to music interpreted by this community of voices will soothe, uplift and inspire you while bringing us closer to a cure for cancer.

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Emerging From 2021 and Getting Ready for 2022

 

There are so many quotes about letting go, moving forward and embracing a New Year. Many of them have negative connotations such as you can't reach for something new if your hands are full of yesterday's junk. Louise Hay's above quote is a much gentler and kinder way to look at letting go of what no longer serves us and opening ourselves to embracing the new.

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

One Year Later: Hope is a Garden

 

Facebook shared this memory from October 15, 2020: 

I am working on my latest book, "Hope: A Collection of Essays and Poems From the Pandemic of 2020". Here is my latest creation that I hope will stir the seeds of infinite possibilities in your heart and soul.

 

Hope Is A Garden  

 

Dirt stained knees

spade turning over soil

feelings flutter

tenderly tilling the earth

lovingly placing bulbs

embodiment of expectations and hope.

 

Hope is a gardenRe

holding seeds in hand

awe-some

everything they need to know

ready to burst forth.

 

Patience and perseverance

faith abides

kneeling

knowing no prayers needed

all unfurls in Divine Timing.

 

In darkness hope stirs

light pierces through

as new life breaks ground

yet invisible to the eye

seeds of infinite possibilities

hope the harvest of imagination.

 

I was inspired to write this poem while watching my husband Tom plant tulip bulbs for the first time in 24 years in our yard. The pandemic moved us to plant a flower garden as a harbinger of hope during one of the darkest and challenging times in our history.

 

The poem inspired the title of my book, "Hope is a Garden: Poems and Essays From the 2020 Pandemic" released on March 2nd.

 

I have been deeply moved by how "Hope" has been received. In addition to Editorial and Customer Reviews on Amazon, people have sent me cards and email messages to let me know how much the book has touched their heart and soul.

I was blessed to be a guest on The Cardinal Cafe podcast to share my journey with Greg Chastain,  President and Ed Siegel, Vice President of Voices of Hope Boston. They created the podcast during the pandemic. Even though the theaters were dark, they wanted to shine the spotlight on people and organizations that would bring a message of hope and healing during very challenging times.

 

Dan Thibeault, podcast producer and owner and founder of Fast Twitch Media edited the episode and set the poem Greg read from "Hope" to music.

About a month later, I was a guest on Liz Brunner's podcast, Live Your Best Life. Once again, Dan set the poem that Liz read to music.

He followed up with an email:

 “I think your poetry book would be great as an audio book version with each one read by a different person and music under them. Have you ever considered that?”

 

 I meditated on the idea. Since Greg Chastain had said during our conversation at the Cardinal Café that my poems “hit every note that Voices of Hope puts out there,” I was inspired to make this project a fund raiser for Voices of Hope. Everyone is donating their time and talent to make this project a novel and successful fund raiser for Voices of Hope.

The production is called, "Hope is a Garden: Forty Poems From the Pandemic to Uplift and Inspire You."

We have received an outpouring of enthusiasm and joy from those we asked to participate in the project and renditions of my poems that gave me goosebumps.

We are excited for a holiday release date. 

 

Stay tuned for more details of how you will be able to download this compilation of music and poetry read by these illustrious individuals:

Liz Brunner - Award winning journalist and CEO and Founder of Brunner Communications

Eliza Healey - Music Director, Voices of Hope Boston

Mark Lamourine - Member, Voices of Hope Boston

Bob Halloran - Award Winning Journalist, Author, Movie Consultant, Sports Writer and WCVB Sports Reporter

Ed Siegel - Vice President, Voices of Hope Boston

Denise Audy - Member, Voices of Hope Boston

Jordan Rich - Legendary host at Boston's WBZ radio, award winning podcaster, philanthropist and co-owner of Chart Productions

Candy O'Terry - Boston's beloved radio voice, singer, and award winning podcaster

Karen Nascembeni - General Manager North Shore Music Theater, Director of Corporate and Community Relations at Theater by the Sea and Manager of Cape Live Shows who inspires us all with her grace and grit after surviving COVID and unimaginable losses.

Sean Allan Krill - Award winning singer and actor nominated for a 2020 Tony Award for his role as Steve Healy in Jagged Little Pill, and the original cast recording of the critically-acclaimed Broadway musical was the recipient of the 2021 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

Dana Siegel - Executive Artistic Director Voices of Hope Boston

Dan Thibeault - Owner and Founder of Fast Twitch Media and the inspiration for Hope is a Garden: Forty Poems from the Pandemic to Uplift and Inspire You

Sue Tabb - Award winning on air Boston radio personality and producer of Exceptional Women

Harry Bouvy - Critically acclaimed Actor, director, teacher, and cocktail enthusiast

Audrey Constant - Award winning Boston radio personality

Joyce Kulhawik - Emmy award winning movie & theater critic CBS Boston 1981-2008, Arts Advocate & 3X Cancer survivor! 

Eileen Curran - Emmy nominated writer, reporter and producer now Director of Public Relations at Franciscan Children's Hospital

Jimmy Tingle - Critically acclaimed comedian and creator of Humor for Humanity

Terry E. Carter - Poet Laureate for the City of Medford, Massachusetts

Jean Chastain - Treasurer, Voices of Hope Boston

Dan Szymczak - Former Baritone of Ball in the House a cappella group and golf instructor in Duluth Minnesota

Lee Woodruff - NY Times Bestselling Author, Speaker, Executive Media Trainer and Co-Founder of the Bob Woodruff Foundation

Bob Woodruff - Award winning journalist, NY Times Bestselling Author and Co-Founder of the Bob Woodruff Foundation

Mauzy Stafford - Boston On-Air Radio personality, Disc jockey, News and Entertainment Reporter, Radio Talk Show Host and passionate about adopt not shop

 

When I first penned the poem Hope is a Garden, I knew it would be the title of my book. I wrote the book for me to keep me focused on love and light during the pandemic and as a way to move through the darkness with a feeling of hope. 

 

We are excited that now, my creation will bring much needed donations to Voices of Hope Boston until they are able to safely return to their performances to generate money to support cancer research and provide resources to cancer patients, their families and medical caregivers.

2/9/2022

We are close to a release date. All tracks are recorded. Here is the final list of poems with readers:

 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