Mile 1 -- My grandson Isaac, my first Grandchild, will get me through the first mile. There's still a long way to go, and I am using that as a metaphor for my life. I want to stay healthy so I have a long life to watch my grandchildren grow up.
Mile 2 -- I am dedicating the second mile to my sister, Jean, because she was just diagnosed with breast cancer and has a long road ahead of her. Jean is a school principal in Tulsa. Jean has had a lot of rough times in her adult life, but I have never known her to be anything but upbeat and positive. This diagnosis of breast cancer is a cruel blow, but in typical Jean style, she's planning a buzz cut and wig party.
Mile 3 – Mile three is for my oldest sister (3rd one born), Mary Ann. She is so much like my Mom it's unreal and maybe a little scary! She has borne most of the responsibility for taking care of our folks as they aged and now, with Dad gone, is the one to take Mom to all her appointments during the week, look in on her daily, fix her meals as needed, etc. Those of us who live close enough rotate through on the weekends to give Mary Ann a break, but she does have a heavy load to bear. Mary Ann is generous and thoughtful and always surprises us with little gifts at Easter, Mother’s Day, Halloween, etc. 17 years ago she lost one of her sons in an automobile accident when he was 17. Her faith in God that pulled her though those dark times is humbling to behold.
Mile 4 -- My sister Linda, the 6th oldest, lives in Atlanta and several years ago lost her husband of 30 years quite suddenly to a dreadful disease. Linda is a great example of someone who has learned to "do it herself" out of necessity and the strength of character it takes to go on after losing the love of her life. Linda and I share a passion for sewing that we hope to turn into a retirement business some day.
Mile 5-- Jane is Jean's twin and they are #4 and #5 on the hit parade of children. Jane, like Linda and my Mom, is a nurse. She came and stayed almost three months with my Dad and then my Mom in 2006, and I got to see first hand what a wonderful nurse she is. She's retired now, but if I ever go to the hospital for a lengthy stay, I want her by my side.
Mile 6 -- My sister Pat is the runner. She was my inspiration for joining MM as I saw what a tremendous impact running has made on her. I am the eighth of nine, and Pat is #7, so we are close in age (but she'll always be older!). I want to be able to run 5 and 10 K runs with Pat. So mile 6, just under 10 K, is dedicated to her.
Mile 7 -- My brother, Bernie's is the second oldest of the kids. He is a Vietnam vet, but never talks about it. Bernie has the most wonderful sense of humor of anyone I know. He owns his own business and works all of the time. I have never seen him angry, although I've been told I don't want to. Bernie has a heart of gold.
Mile 8 -- My brother, Mike is the oldest of the family. He got married in high school and struggled through some of his early twenty's but eventually turned himself around to start his own business and make it a success (and he's still married to his high school sweetheart). He knows more about whatever his current interest is than anyone else in the world and those interests change daily. He's very generous. He bought all us girls bright-colored crocs because one of us was teasing him about buying shoes. He sent us all roses after Dad died.
Mile 9 -- My sister Becky is the "caboose" of the family, the ninth child. She's 6 years younger than me, a bit of a surprise for Mom at age 39! As with all babies, she was spoiled rotten and got away with much, much more than the rest of us did. Becky struggles with controlling her weight and is an insulin-dependent diabetic. I wish she lived in Jackson. Marathon Makeover would change her life.
Mile 10 -- Bryan is my oldest son and will be 31 on October 7. He will be in Chicago with his girlfriend and is bringing an engagement ring to propose. I think he's going to take her to dinner on top of the John Hancock building. Bryan is smarter than me and Charlie combined. I am very proud of him.
Mile 11 -- My son, Mark had Attention Deficit Disorder as a child and there were times I wondered if we'd ever get him through school. But we made it, and he figured out how to compensate and is very successful. He's now 29 years old and happily married. He once told me he was living his dream. How can it get any better than that? His brother once commented that Mark "is the total package". That's a pretty good compliment from his big brother, and very, very true.
Mile 12 -- My friend, Lenora and I got our Ph.D.'s together in 1989 and have been best friends ever since. She went to Seattle for her post doc, and I felt like the rug had been pulled out from under me when she left. She's back here now and lives about a quarter mile from me. She's my walking buddy at 5:30 in the morning during the week. I can count on her for anything and trust her with my life and my children’s lives. I could not have a better friend.
Mile 13 -- My brother-in-law, A.D. is Mary Ann's husband. He is a retired policeman. He is the perfect match for my sister and they've been married over 40 years. A.D. would do anything for you and is a great cook.
Mile 14 -- My sister-in-law, Maria is Bernie's wife. She was in the hospital at the same time my Dad and Mom were. She had very severe colitis and eventually had to have her colon removed. I don't know if I could deal with that, but Maria has done great. Some of the credit does go to my brother and how supportive he is and how he's made her feel despite the "appliance" she now has to wear.
Mile 15 -- My brother-in-law, Ronnie, is Becky's husband. He lost his job with Piccadilly cafeterias as regional VP after 30 years with the company, despite being one of the few managers who could and did consistently turn around cafeterias that were under performing. He's now the darling of Luby's and I expect him to be CEO one day. I've learned a lot of leadership lessons from Ronnie who has a VERY straight forward approach in giving people feedback.
Mile 16 -- My former boss, Chuck, was new to our company and brought a breath of fresh air to a pretty stodgy nuclear environment. He did not get reselected for his position when we went through that process in February and left the company. We screwed up letting him go. I thank God he was with our company for as long as he was, as we struck up a pretty good friendship and he and his wife are coming to Chicago to be part of my curb crew. What a guy!
Mile 17 – My daughter-in-law, Tori, is pregnant with my second grandchild and makes my son, Mark, happy. I have heard that sons want to marry “a girl just like the girl that married dear old Dad”. Well, she’s not just like me – in fact we’re different in many ways, but there are some similarities (she’s short, for one thing).
Mile 18 -- I think this will be the hardest mile for me, based on other long mileage days. So I am dedicating this mile to my husband, Charlie -- and NOT because he's a pain. (ha!) I met Charlie at the end of our Freshman year in college at Baylor University. We started dating our sophomore year and he's the only one I ever went out with more than twice. (I went to an all-girls high school, so there wasn't much dating going on). It did not take us long to fall in love and we were married the summer after our Junior year. Charlie joined the Navy and after graduation we got to see some of the U.S. and lived in California, New York, Idaho, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Hawaii. When he would go out to sea on submarines I would be so lonely, but I figured out two things. 1) I could live without him and 2) I did not want to. We have been married for 33 years and Charlie is my strength and my rock. He goes along with all my wild ideas and schemes and never tells me "no". I will be thinking of him and leaning on all he gives me throughout this marathon.
Mile 19 – This one's for all the marathoners that were unable to participate due to injury or other circumstance. I know there are some I don't know about and don't want to leave anyone out, but this one's for Clark, Sheila, Queen, Robin , Carol, and Linda and anyone else who was sidelined due to injury or circumstance. I hope it's not for Scotty and that he's able to run.
Mile 20 -- My soon-to-be daughter-in-law Mari is already a good influence on my son and puts up with his shortcomings – he’s smart, but not perfect! It’s a two caret diamond he’s giving her, not 20, but that’s still pretty big!
Mile 21 -- This one's for all the Marathoners who are out there with me -- most finishing sooner, some later -- all of us finishing, Marathoners one and all.
Mile 22 -- My sister-in-law Jeannie for all the years (twice 22) she has put up with my aforementioned brother, Mike. When I was in high school and my life ambition was to be a hippy, she is the one I confided in. She has been a great sister-in-law and a great daughter-in-law to my parents.
Mile 23 - My brother-in-law, Greg, Jane's husband gets this mile because he's a "late bloomer". He met Jane in college but it took him 23 years to propose and marry her.
Mile 24 – with the finish line in sight, I will be thanking God for all of His blessings. Writing this list and thinking about all the wonderful family and friends reinforces what I know to be true – I am truly blessed.
Mile 25 – This one if for my Mom. Leaving the hospital two days before my Dad died, my Mom fell and broke her hip. She had surgery the day before he died. After her surgery we had to wheel her hospital bed into my Dad's room so she could hold his hand and be with him before he died. She was in such pain, barely able to attend the funeral and had to spend a month in the hospital after he died. Since then she has struggled with an additional hip fracture, a compression fracture of her back, severe and blinding headaches -- and the hits just keep on coming. She continues to strive to get her mobility and independence back. She is 87 years old now and has maintained a strength of spirit and will that is unbelievable. She and Dad were married for 63 years and had 9 children, 18 grand children and 17 great grand children. I have never known my Mom to be anything but elegant and gracious. She is formidible and she knows how to go the distance. She is my hero.
Mile 26 – I dedicate this mile and even the whole marathon to my Dad who died in June, 2006, after a two month hospital stay. The hardest thing I have ever done in my life, way harder than any marathon could ever be, was watch him slip away and breathe his last breath. As he aged, he had a lot of trouble with his feet and it hurt for him to walk much of the time. I know now, a little, of how that felt for him. When I get that finisher’s medal in Chicago I am going to leave it on his grave.
Mile 26.2 – Okay, this one’s for me. It’s enough, because it is all the people listed above that make me who I am, and I truly could not have done it ithout their influence in my life.
This is a picture of my folks and my sisters and brothers (and me) when we celebrated my folks' 60th anniversary. Back row, from left to right, Mike, Bernie, Mary Ann, Jean, Jane. Middle row left to right, Pat, Linda, Becky. My folks are front and center and I am right behind my Dad to the left.
This is a picture of my boys, Bryan (l) and Mark (r) and my Dad.
