Reach Out Your Hand

I am so blessed to have the support of all of you as I continue on this journey to make a difference in people's lives via the marathon. I would like to share with you words of inspiration and motivation I have received in the last couple weeks from some very dear friends of mine.

The following comes from one of the most selfless people I know. I met Jan and her husband through the Nashville Predators organization and was friends with their son while I was in Nashville for graduate school. They quickly became my "Nashville parents" and were there for me through many things. They even took me in the week before my boards exam last summer- I got spoiled with home cooked meals, a big cozy bed and a chance to bond even more with them before I moved on to Boston just a few weeks later. Thank you so much for all you have done for me, Jan, as well as sharing the following!

Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light. ~Norman B. Rice

There is no way to describe what a mother or father go thru when they first learn their precious child has been diagnosed with cancer and are told that children with this type of tumor “just don’t live.” Knowing there is nothing you can do to fix the situation is truly overwhelming. You suddenly find yourself turning to others to help get you through the period when you feel numb and helpless. Once the journey comes to an end, you find yourself reaching out to others because you know that you are one of the few people who truly understand what they are going through. We all do this in different ways and with different levels of intensity based on what we’re capable of doing/giving. To know there are folks willing to run in a marathon, make a meal or send a card, truly helps those in darkness reach for the light. Thank you Sarah, for seeing the need and offering your hand. Love, Jan

Another person who has shared a few words with me recently is a family friend from my childhood. Our families often coincided at sporting events and his beautiful wife Janette is greatly missed to this day! She always had a smile on her face and was wonderful to be around. 

Thanks Sarah for thinking of Janette. She was an inspiration to her kids and so many young people. When I started running, after Janette passed away, I knew she wanted that for me. Janette's story is one of giving to her family and friends. Even in her last days she worried about us and was such an inspiration! She never complained about the pain during her illness. As you run please know she is with you each and every step, as she is with me when I run! When that last mile of a "long run" gets unbearable she will show you the way! This means so much to me to share this with you!!

Thank you, Tom, for sharing those meaningful words.  I will definitely keep Janette in mind when the going gets tough on those long runs!

Every step of this journey, I have people like Jan and Tom in my mind. They are both amazingly strong people who have persevered through the battle of a losing a loved one to cancer and continue to have such wonderful giving hearts. They are an inspiration to all of us for how to live our lives and become better people.

To this day, we have raised $1,806 to go towards funding innovative cancer research. Thank you to the people who have donated so far! And to those who haven't please consider helping us get closer to the cure for cancer. I would love to be sharing more success stories such as Kristin's shared earlier in the blog. I truly believe that together we can make a big difference.

I'll leave you with this... "Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For, indeed, that's all who ever have." -Margaret Mead

Have a wonderful week!

-S