Hugs, Hope and Smiles for Miles on Heartbreak Hill

 

"Should we just go out the front door today?" Tom asked as Team McManus prepared to get in their  miles on a soggy Saturday. "I desperately need a change of scenery," I said. "All right then," Tom replied, "Let's do Heartbreak Hill."

I had already prepared everything we'd need to get to Heartbreak for yesterday's miles. As often happens when Team McManus is training for an endurance event, we squabble over the silliest things. As we got into the car, the rain picked up.

"See if we would have gotten out the door sooner," Ruth Anne proclaimed, we would have missed the heaviest rains.

That's true but oh we would have missed out on so much more. 

As also happens with Team McManus, there is magic and synchronicity while training and fundraising.

When I came out of my morning meditation, a little limerick was percolating knowing that the mask mandate ended in Brookline, one of the last cities and towns in Massachusetts to lift the mandate:

Today's the day the masks are gone our faces are happy and free
it's the end of the pandemic everyone's smiles we get to see.
There's now times for hugs galore two years almost to the day....

 Little did I know the hugs galore I was about to experience.

We pulled into our regular spot in the parking lot before Centre Street and Commonwealth Avenue. We were getting our fuel belts together and a runner came toward us. "Well isn't this wonderful? Hello Mary McManus."

When he saw the puzzled look on my face he said, 'It's David O'Leary.' 

"Oh my goodness," I replied. I immediately thought that if we would have gone out earlier we would have missed this opportunity to see him and so many others out on the course.

David is the host of Magic 106.7's Morning Magic radio show here in Boston. We've been friends for years. The first time I met him in person was at the launch of a nonprofit that was established to support military families and to address the mental health needs of veterans who are at risk for suicide. He attended the event as a survivor of someone who ended their own lives and as part of his work at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Being a survivor of my father and nephew's deaths by suicides, we made a powerful connection from Day 1. David had been a tremendous support to me as Ruth Anne went through her health crises which manifested as neuropsychiatric symptoms.

We walked toward each other and he said, "Can I give you a hug?..." and as he said 'I'm fully vaccinated...' we were already hugging each other.

"Is this your beautiful family?"

I introduced him and asked if we could take a selfie together. He was out on his 18 miler running his 2nd Boston Marathon (the first one in October) for AFSP and was gracious enough to take a moment with us:

Follow this link to make a donation and support David's run for this incredible cause.

Tom, Ruth Anne and I set out for our miles. They are training for the Providence Half Marathon and do a 10 minute warm up before they go off at their pace. As we crossed Centre Street, we saw a water stop in the distance wondering whose it was. There was 1976 Boston Marathon Champion Jack Fultz, our friend and coach for the Dana Farber Cancer Boston Marathon team. We hesitated for a moment before giving each other a hug. We chatted for a few minutes with eyes smiling sharing Tom and Ruth Anne's prep for the Providence Half Marathon. Tom and Ruth Anne went on their way.

I am still in recovery mode getting back to running after needing time off as I wrote about in my Rest and Hope blog post. It was a short out and back for two miles. On my way back to our car I hear, 'Hi Mary!' It was Erin, Ruth Anne's Occupational Therapist from Spaulding who is running this year's Boston Marathon as part of the Race for Rehab Team. She was ready to run in 2020 but then COVID. She did run the Virtual Marathon in September. Here is the link to her fundraising page. I asked her if she saw Ruth and she said "Yes back there." "Have a great rest of your run," I said as she sped past me.

One of my favorite questions to hear while on Heartbreak Hill is from out of towners running their first Boston. "Is this Heartbreak Hill?" I heard a woman ask the other members of her group. Someone started to explain it to her so I knew I didn't need to stop to explain it to her. I smiled warmly to myself realizing that after two years, Boston will run again in April.

I passed the Dana Farber Charity Teams water stop. 'Great job,' they said. I smiled saying how I wasn't training for Boston. "That doesn't matter. You're out here and you're doing a great job. Would you like some refreshment?" I thanked them and we shared in the gratitude and joy of feeling a sense of emerging from the pandemic.

As I was nearing the end of my run, I saw Erin again in the distance. She was waiting for the light to change to cross the street to the Heartbreak Hill Running Company. We greeted each other in the pouring rain and hugged with our eyes. She had finished her 20 miles. She told me what a total joy it is to see Ruth and her dad running together. I gave her a brief update and told her how she is with us every day. The seeds that she planted through her sessions with Ruth continue to blossom. I put my hand on my heart and expressed my deepest gratitude to her. She is a gifted professional who continues to provide support through emails.

When I got back to my car I stretched. Amanda McCann, another Charity runner ran by me. I got to know Amanda through the Facebook running community. I loved her posts with her 'memere' who lived with dementia. Amanda shared her weekly visits with her on Facebook. The love they had for each other was palpable despite her memere's advancing dementia. We smiled from our hearts as she said, "I saw them back there. They look great." {referencing Tom and Ruth Anne} I wished her a great rest of her run. When we got home we messaged each other on Facebook and made donations to each other's fundraisers. She is running with Team Camp Shriver. Since 2006, Camp Shriver at the University of Massachusetts Boston has welcomed children, 50% with and 50% without intellectual and developmental disabilities, ages 8-12, from low income families in the Boston area to a free inclusive summer recreational camp. Here is the link to her fundraising page.

The rain and wind intensified but there was a sense of unbridled joy and gratitude in the runners' energy. It's counterinutitive to think that running on the hills would facilitate my healing but there was powerful medicine and magic on the Newton Hills on Saturday. Tom, Ruth Anne and I said it was the best we felt in two years!

Here are Tom and Ruth Anne after their sensational albeit soggy six miles and the link to Ruth Anne's fundraising page:

                 They were literally soaked to the skin with hearts filled with joy and gratitude.

At a time when the world seems to be filled with worry and fear, divisiveness and feelings of lack, there were hugs, hope and smiles for miles on Heartbreak Hill as runners fund raise for important causes and as a community, Boston gets ready to run again!

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

Celebrating a Celebration Boutique!

 

 

When Paula Romero-Dunbar opened Paper Fiesta in November of 2018, it was the fulfillment of her dream. She knew that being a small business owner would have its challenges, but she could not imagine that the challenges would include a fire that destroyed the block of stores across from her store and a pandemic that would force her to close for several months in the midst of an economic crisis. 

 

How it began:

Paula and Walter met in 1995 and believe everything happens for a reason. For a quarter of a century this couple has been learning and growing together. They love celebrating with friends, family and especially their son and daughter who you may see often helping around Paper Fiesta since opening in the fall of 2018.

After graduating from Curry college in 1998 Walter soon realized he was climbing the corporate ladder, but it was up against the wrong tree. He contemplated choosing a new career until September 11th, 2001. The tragedy of terror on 9-11 had reignited the flame of what he always really wanted to do. Help people. Walter returned to school and became an EMT in 2002. He started his EMS career at American Medical Response in Natick. In 2005 he started working 911 on the AMR ambulance out of Newton Fire Station 2. The turn that begins BOSTON’s world famous “heartbreak hill.” Walter always wanted to “someday” run the Boston Marathon even though he was not a runner and hated to run. He felt inspired by the runners and loved how the community united to support each other. Walter was spellbound by the magic of the marathon and every year thought to himself, “maybe someday I’ll run BOSTON.”

Walter began working at Boston EMS in 2008. Marathon Monday on 4-15-2013 changed his life. Witnessing the triumphs of runners in the morning and the tragedies of terror in the afternoon was an overwhelming experience. Inside of the terror, devastation and grief there was still something special happening…”strangers helping strangers” and every one of his coworkers “running the right way.” Their worst brought out our best!

The magic of the marathon seemed lost and buried somewhere beneath the ruins. Running seemed like the only way to search for and rediscover that lost magic. Walter ran his first marathon in 2014 and reunited with survivors along the way. Discovering what many people affectionately call “the survivor community” fueled his passion and purpose. He was introduced to survivors and first responders from around the world united by tragedy and stronger because of them. Walter’s still running, working full time at Boston EMS and dedicated to transforming tragedy into triumph. His “mile10connections” gift section consists of poetry and motion. Photos that tell a story decorate the walls. The legendary Johnny Kelley running past our window is a favorite.

What are the chances this diverse couple would one day open a store together that unite such unique passions? {Follow this link to read Paula's journey.} How could this store dedicated to bringing joy to people’s lives, be located on mile 10 of the Boston Marathon, inside of historic “Clark’s Block” that is 2 years older than the marathon itself?

We may not know the reason everything happens, but we do know everything happens for a reason. We thank God for everything and believe in magic.

Their journey into owning and operating a small business in Natick, Mass. has been a marathon both figuratively and literally. It seems like fate that their individual passions would combine into this synergetic store’s location. Paper Fiesta is located at 1 Main Street in the heart of downtown Natick, right along the famous mile 10 section of the Boston Marathon. C’mon by and see for yourself why this new gift shop, located on the historic corner of Clark’s Block (built in 1872), offers gifts, paper, fun with an essence of strength, history, spirit and hope.

 

In April of 2019, Paula and her husband Walter opened their hearts and Paper Fiesta to host the book launch of my book “Adventures of Runnergirl 1953.” It was a family affair with their son Luke helping with refreshments and her daughter Natalie filming my talk. We were able to introduce many of our friends to Paper Fiesta, many of whom returned to shop after the book launch party.

Summer is usually a slow retail season but a fire in Natick Center in 2019 that destroyed a block of stores across the street from Paper Fiesta made it a tough go for a new business owner.

 

Paula kept the faith and made it through that summer that tested her mettle but brought the Natick Center Cultural community closer together. We made frequent visits to support Paula and during Christmas of 2019, we had a wonderful time stocking up on party goods for my Christmas Birthday and holiday celebrations. 

Just as Paula was gaining momentum after the fire and with a prosperous holiday season, the pandemic forced her to close. 

We bought a gift card and encouraged all of our friends to do the same. The Natick moms community became a source of support to fan the dying embers of her dream. Paula became inspired to do Easter Baskets with curbside pickup and being the Easter Bunny to deliver baskets in the nearby towns. She was one exhausted Easter Bunny after selling 100 baskets! Paula had a friend set up her website for e-commerce.

 

She offered Face Time shopping along with the clever idea of putting together a surprise package for special occasions. Shoppers would tell Paula how much they wanted to spend and what kind of a theme they would like and Paula did the rest. I absolutely loved my Mother's Day package 2020.

We visited Paula in mid-April to shop and to leave author copies of my latest book "Hope is a Garden: Poems and Essays From the 2020 Pandemic." I told Paula that she could keep the proceeds of the books in exchange for sharing on social media. #Womensupportingwomen is a popular social media hashtag. While we still had to wear masks the love we share was palpable as we talked about vaccines, slowly emerging from the pandemic, our families and making it through those past 14 months.

What a blessing to be able to see each other's smiles when we returned last Thursday to Paper Fiesta. I was emotionally overwhelmed by the moment. Paula's strength and resilience, the strength of a community and extended friends who are like family kept Paula's dream alive.

We shopped for Father's Day, a cousin's graduation and the twins' birthday celebration on August 7th. Of course we bought books and treats for ourselves. As Ruth Anne always says, "Paper Fiesta is my favorite place to shop." 

There are still challenges ahead as Paula pointed out that there are problems with the supply chain and the general anxiety about recovery from these past 15 months. We hold a space for those but Thursday was all about celebrating a celebration boutique and seeing the American dream alive and well in Natick Center Cultural District!

Womanpreneur extraordinare, Paula Romero-Dunbar with my daughter Ruth Anne and me.

From my heart to yours
In health and wellness
Mary

Be sure to listen to my conversation with Greg Chastain and Ed Siegel on their Voices of Hope podcast, The Cardinal Cafe. From Greg Chastain: The latest episode of The Cardinal Cafe is up! On this episode we meet Mary McManus. Mary is a motivational speaker, author, poet, 2009 Boston Marathon Finisher, polio and trauma survivor. She has a remarkable story of resilence, healing, Hope and possibilities. Once you hear her tell her story you will want to rush out to purchase her newest book of poems “Hope is a Garden” which she wrote during the recent pandemic. So please join us for this incredible story.

For more information about my journey from childhood polio and trauma to the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and beyond, visit my website.  

Be sure to check out my website's News and Events page for upcoming and past interviews where I share my remarkable and inspirational journey as a survivor of paralytic polio and trauma.

My books to inspire and uplift you are available on Amazon.

"No Masks!"

 

On Saturday's run, we heard a passing runner yell out, "No masks!" I had to ask Tom and Ruth Anne, 'What did he say?' because, for the past 15 months, there have been on occasion, grumblings and snarky comments whether we wore a mask or had momentarily taken off our masks on a run. 

They confirmed he said "no masks" and all three of us smiled. We realized for the first time in 15 months that we did not need to wear a mask or have one handy while out on a run and how glorious to be able to smile at one another.

One of the most challenging parts of the pandemic for me was needing to wear a mask. 

On what would have been Marathon Monday in April 2020, we didn't have masks yet and used scarves over our mouths during a 2.62 mile run. One of my friends saw our Facebook post and said, "Do you need masks?" I told her that the public health commissioner of Brookline sent out a mandate that all residents of Brookline have to wear a mask in public. "No do you need masks. I am making them." In exchange for her sending us masks, we made a donation to her favorite charity.

It was an intense struggle for me to have to wear a mask. As a trauma survivor, it was intensely uncomfortable to have my mouth and nose covered, yet I knew it had to be done for the highest good. I struggled with whether or not to get vaccinated. What a surprise to have the mask mandate lifted for those of us who are fully vaccinated.

People always tell my daughter and me that we have beautiful smiles that light up a room. It was challenging to not allow these past 15 months to change that smile.

On May 13th, President Biden said,:
"If you’re fully vaccinated and can take your mask off, you have earned the right to do something that Americans are known for all around the world: greeting others with a smile. With a smile. So, it is a good day for the country."

It feels miraculous to be able to see people smile again. Smiles seem to be more radiant filled with joy and relief than before March 13, 2020. 

We still have masks with us and are aware of certain situations where we still need to mask up but what an incredible feeling to be maskless once more.

Maskless

Take off the mask
shedding fears
allow tears to flow
we made it through.

Fourteen months of angst
now ending
grateful to be alive
eager to hug
joy and laughter
Spirits shining through.

Resilience reflected
sparkling eyes
lives transformed
lines of age and wisdom revealed.

Bask in the light
warmth beaming from radiant smiles
happy to be
at last
maskless.

 

Be sure to listen to my conversation with Greg Chastain and Ed Siegel on their Voices of Hope podcast, The Cardinal Cafe. from Greg Chastain: The latest episode of The Cardinal Cafe is up! On this episode we meet Mary McManus. Mary is a motivational speaker, author, poet, 2009 Boston Marathon Finisher, polio and trauma survivor. She has a remarkable story of resilence, healing, Hope and possibilities. Once you hear her tell her story you will want to rush out to purchase her newest book of poems “Hope is a Garden” which she wrote during the recent pandemic. So please join us for this incredible story. 

From my heart to yours
In health and wellness
Mary

Be sure to check out my website's News and Events page for upcoming and past interviews where I share my remarkable and inspirational journey as a survivor of paralytic polio and trauma.

For more information about my journey from childhood polio and trauma to the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and beyond, visit my website. 

My books to inspire and uplift you are available on Amazon.